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RESOURCES 

OF THE 

SOXJTHERISr 

FIELDS AND FORESTS, 

MEDICAL, ECONOMICAL AND AGRICULTURAL : 



BEING ALSO A 



MEDICAL BOTANY OF THE SOUTHERN STATES 



PRACTICAL INFORMATION ON THE USEFUL PROPERTIES OF 
THE TREES, PLANTS, AND SHRUBS. 

BY FRANCIS PEYRE PORCHER, M. D., 

IfORMERLV SURGEOX IN CHARGE OF CITY HOSPITALS, CHARLESTON; AND LECTURER ON 

MATERIA MEDICA AND THERAPEUTICS; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL 

AND SURGICAL, AND THE OBSTETRIC SOCIETIES, AND THE LYCEUM OF 

NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK, AND OF THE ACADEMY 

OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 

Ille terrarum mihi praeter omnes 
Angulus ridet, ubi non Hymetto 
Mella decedunt, viridique certat 
Bacca Venafro. 
Ver ubi longum tepidasque preebet 
Jupiter brumas. 

Horace, Cartn. vi, Lib. iiT 




"^tia ^bitioit — llefjiscb anb ITargtlg §ittgtncnttb. 



Uf- 



CHARLESTON: 

WALKER, EVANS & COGSWELL, PRINTERS, 

Nos. 3 Broad and 109 East Bay Streets. 

1869. 



** 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 

FRANCIS PEYRE PORCH ER, M. D., 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the District ( 
Charleston, South Carolina. 



THIS VOU'ME IS I.VSCRIBEI) 

TOTHE MEMORY OF 

f irgittia "£i\0 ^ovcUtv, 

HO AIDED IN ITS PREPARATION, AND WHO IS ASSOCIATED WITH WHATEVER OF TOIL OB 
OF PLEASURE, WAS ATTENDANT UPON ITS EXECUTION. 



PRELIMINARY. 



MEDICINAL AND USEFUL PLANTS AND TREES OF THE 
SOUTHERN STATES— INDIGENOUS AND INTRODUCED. 

The first Edition of this volume was prepared during the late war by 
direction of the Surgeon-Greneral of the Confederate States, that the Medical 
Officers, as well as the public, might be supplied with information, which, at 
the time, was greatly needed. I was released, temporarily, for this purpose, 
from service in the Field and Hospital. My connection with the last taen- 
tioned Institutions, as Physician and Surgeon, has extended almost unin- 
terruptedly over a period of twelve years ; so that my opportunities for 
experimental investigations in Therapeutics and practical medicine, has been 
ample. 

This Edition has been largely added to, and much time and care have 
been expended in its preparation. 

It is intended as a Hand-book of scientific and popular knowledge, as 
regards the medicinal, economical and useful properties of the Trees, Plants 
and Shrubs found within the limits of the Southern States, whether em- 
ployed in the arts, for manufacturing purposes, or in domestic economy, to 
supply a present as well as a future want. Treating specially of our medi- 
cinal plants, and of the best substitutes for foreign articles of vegetable 
origin, my aim has been to spare no exertions, compatible with the limits 
assigned me, to make it applicable as well to the requirements of the Surgeon 
as of the Planter and Farmer ; and I trust that there will still be no diminu- 
tion in the desire of every one to possess a source from whence his curiosity 
may be satisfied on matters pertaining to our useful plants. The Physician 
in his private practice, the Planter on his estate, or, should the necessity 
arise, the Regimental Surgeon in the field, may himself collect and apply 
these substances within his reach, which are frequently quite as valuable as 
others obtained from abroad, and either impossible to be procured or scarce 
and costly. In preparing it, I have also had in view the wants of Emigrants 
and those abroad who wish to be acquainted with respect to the Agricultural 
capacities of this extended section of country. But information scattered 
through a variety of sources must needs be first collected, to be available in 
any practical point of view. 

I have, therefore, inserted whatever I thought would throw light upon 
the vegetable productions of the Southern States, to enable every one to use 
the abundant material within his reach. An excuse will be found for any 
awkward arrangement of the details, in the difficulty of collating, digesting 
and reconciling a multiplicity of statements, some of them contradictory, 
from a variety of authors. I have searched through the various Catalogues 



VI PKELIMINARY. 

and systematic works on Botany, and noticed in almost every instance the 
habitat and precise locality of plants, that each one may be apprised of the 
proximity of valuable species. Frequent references to one limited section 
in particular, may be accounted for by the fact that it has been illustrated 
by the labors of at least three Botanists of distinction, Walter, MacBride 
and Eavenel. "Whenever citizens of other States have performed a similar 
work, I have gladly availed myself of it. 

Catalogues of the trees and plants growing in special localities thus become 
of great service, as they indicate precisely where valuable species may be 
procured. Those interested may obtain the localities of many plants found 
in the Southern States by consulting Elliott's Botany, Darby's, and the 
recent work by Chapman, of Florida, " The Flora of the Southern United 
States." Among the Catalogues issued at the South, is one by Dr. Jno. 
Bachman of " Plants growing in the vicinity of Charleston," published in 
the Southern Agriculturist; one by Prof. Lewis R. Gibbes of those found 
in Richland District, S. C; " Plants found in the vicinity of Newbern, N. 
C," by H. B. Croom ; an unfinished paper by W. Wragg Smith, Esq., 
published in the Transactions of the Elliott Society of Charleston ; "A 
Catalogue of Indigenous and Naturalized Plants of North Carolina, by 
Rev. M. A. Curtis, D. D., 1867;" and "A Medico-Botanical Catalogue of 
the Plants of St. John's Berkeley, S. C," by the writer. Also my " Sketch 
of the Medical Botany of South Carolina," published in the Transactions of 
the Am. Med. Association, vol. ii, 1849. The extensive collection in the 
Charleston Museum, by my friend, Mr. H. W. Ravenel, and his several 
publications, might also be consulted with profit. I have availed myself of 
Dr. Chapman's work in ascertaining the names of plants added by botanists 
since the time of Walter and Elliott, and not contained in the Catalogues 
referred to. By the opportune publication of this work, I have been enabled 
to introduce a large number of plants possessed of valuable properties, 
medicinal and economical, which are common to Mexico, the West India 
Islands and the tropical countries. The plants have been arranged after the 
Natural System, adopting, for the most part, the views of Lindley. 

The reference to information contained in books* serves the purpose of 
showing those interested in any Production or Manufacture where fuller 
details, which are too long to insert, can be procured. It will be seen from 
inspecting the list of authorities, that the labor of searching through the 
large number of Medical and other authorities has been very great. My 
chief object has been utility and the desire to benefit our people, and that 
future inquirers, being advised of what has been already accomplished, may 
proceed to more experimental researches. I have not hesitated to draw 
largely from any quarter, appending the name of the author, whenever I 
thought the matter applicable to our condition and requirements. Thus, on 

*"I take this occasion to express my indebtedness to Col. J. B. Moore, of States- 
burg, S. C, for the use of a vahiable library of agricultural and chemical books, and 
for many facilities aflforded me in the prosecution of this work. 



PRELIMINARY. VIl 

the subject of the Grape, Wine, Sugar, Sorghum, Tannin, Opium, Cotton, 
Tobacco, Tea, Ramie, Esparto Grass, Flax, Mustard, Castor Oil, Oils, Tur- 
pentine, Starch, Potash, Soda, Wood for engraving and for domestic pur- 
poses, Medicinal substances. Agricultural products generally, etc., I have 
been profuse in my selections from a multiplicity of sources. 

I have avoided more than a cursory mention of the Cryptogamic plants. 
Fungi, etc., as the space occupied would be too great. I would refer the 
reader to my paper in the Transactions of the Am. Med. Association, vol. 
vii, on " The Medicinal, Dietetic and Poisonous Properties of the Crypto- 
gamic Plants of the United States," where the subject is treated in exienso, 
and a description of several hundred useful or poisonous species furnished. 

The older as well as the more recent works on the Materia Medica, Thera- 
peutics and Medical Botany — from the Catalogus Plantarum of Johannes 
Ray and the Dispensatory of Trillerus, to Pereira, Wood, Griffith and 
Stille— have been consulted. I have been at the pains to search through the 
former^n order not only to ascertain the virtues once ascribed to our Plants, 
and to contrast these with the results of later investigations, but also to ex- 
hibit the mutations that have occurred in the confidence reposed in many of 
what are at present considered our most approved Therapeutic agents. The 
frequency with which this takes place warns us not to discard, upon a super- 
ficial examination, those popularly considered to be of trivial importance. 
The European authorities have been examined, and from them has been 
obtained much concerning our Medicinal and Economical plants, which is 
either not generally known or not alluded to in our Dispensatories, and 
which might be of essential service to those desirous, not merely of ascer- 
taining what is already understood, but also more thoroughly of investigating 
the hidden qualities of others. 

The investigation necessary for ascertaining and collecting these has 
unfolded a vast fund of facts relative to the virtues of a large proportion, as 
it will be observed, of the Plants, both obscure and well known, amongst us. 

I have availed myself of the 12th Edition of the U. S. Dispensatory, 
recently issued and carefully revised by its able surviving author. That 
complete and extensive work, the Dictionnaire de Matiere Medicale et Thera- 
peutique Generale, by Merat and De Lens, including the Supplementary 
volume, has been freely translated when necessary. I have also examined 
the Agricultural Journals, the Patent Office Reports, the "Rural Cyclo- 
pcedia," edited by Wilson, of Edinburgh ; and have thought it not inadmis- 
sible to glean from the Journals and Newspapers of the day, which occa- 
sionally aflTord the earliest information on the economical resources of a 
country. From these I have been carefully collecting. 

Many topics are, therefore, appropriately introduced which would hardly 
have place in a strictly Medical work. Information of this kind is generally 
referred to under subjects with which it is closely allied. Thus, Potash, 
Ashes and Soap are classed under Hickory and Oak, ("Carya" and "Quer- 
cus,") Soda and Soda Soaps under *' Salsola " and " Fucus," Charcoal under 
Pine and Willow, (" Pinus " and " Salix,") Oils under Bene, (" Sesamum,") 



viii PRELIMINARY, 

Starch and Arrowroot under " Maranta " and " Convolvolus," etc., as these 
Plants are characteristically rich in such products. The Index, however, 
will contain full references. 

The mode of action of Medicinal plants infinitely varies ; their selection, 
consequently, for the several purposes required by the Physician, is not, in 
my opinion, a matter of mere accident, the result of guesswork or of popular 
reputation. Each is distinguished by the composition of its principal con- 
stituents ; these are generally astringent principles, narcotics, stimulating 
vegetable oils, cooling, refrigerant acids, bitter tonics, cathartics, etc., etc. 
Some, as the Cinchonacese and the less active anti-periodics, contain princi- 
T)les still more rarely met with and more obscure in their mode of operation, 
which have control in warding off the access of malarial attacks. But once 
in possession of the main active principles furnished by a plant, it is easy to 
see why it gains credit as a remedy in certain classes of disease. This power 
it may share in common with many others, and several properties may be 
combined in various degrees in each, which it is necessary to know, prelim- 
inary to a judicious application of them. Many Plants, for example, are 
reputed efficacious in arresting the profluvise, diarrhoeas and discharges from 
the mucous surfaces generally ; this should excite no surprise when it is 
suspected or ascertained that they contain tannin simply. In some others, 
as in the IJva ursi, for example, the tannin is associated with a stimulating 
diuretic oil, which further adapts it to the relief of chronic renal affections. 
So with those which experience teaches us produce a cathartic, emetic, nar- 
cotic, sedative, irritant, or vermifuge action on the human system. It is 
always in virtue of the well known principles they contain, that they prove 
serviceable and are preferred, and chemical analysis subsequently reveals 
precisely what it is upon which their powers depend. The ignorant, whether 
credulous or incredulous, know only by memory the name of the plant and 
the disease which it is said to suit — as in the manner of charlatans and herb 
doctors. 

Increased attention has, within the past decade, been paid to the produc- 
tion and manufacture of the Concentrated Preparations, Alkaloids, Resin- 
oids, solid and fluid Extracts, etc. We are indebted for many of these to 
the pharmaceutical and chemical skill of Professor Proctor, Dr. Parrish, 
and other competent investigators, and to the researches and publications 
of Prof. Geo. B. Wood. (See Am. Journ. Pharm., Journ. Phillad. Col- 
lege of Pharm., and Am. Pharm. Assoc.) Extensive establishments at the 
North are engaged in their manufacture, and an immense impulsion has 
been given to their use among a large and growing class of physicians and 
practitioners, particxilarly at the North and West. 

I may remind the reader that the knowledge of the very existence of the 
Alkaloids commenced with the discovery and separation of Morphia, by 
Serturner and Seguin, in 1817 ; a modification of the Generic name of the 
plant from which they are first derived, is usually given to them; sometimes 
these are indiscriminately terminated by in or ia, but in order to have uni- 



PRELIMINARY. li 

fortnity, the highest authorities recommend that the former should always 
be applied to the Neutral principle, and the latter to the Alkaloids. They 
are dissolved by water, but sparingly, by acids, alcohol, ether and almost all 
in benzine and chloroform. Tannic acid precipitates them, and is considered 
the best antidote for their injurious effects. 

Dr. Wood refers to the unscientific names used by the so-called Eclectics 
in givine; such appellations as Hydrastin, Iridin or Irisin to Alkaloids, 
Oleo-resins, etc., which should be reserved for the pure active principles 
when they shall have been discovered and separated ; and Parrish objects to 
" the evils growing out of this system of practice," and to " the multiplicity 
of these nondescript principles, which while many of them may be valuable 
medicines, are prepared almost exclusively by a few manufacturers, each 
pursuing his own process and liable to produce varying results ; while under 
an imperfect system of nomenclature all are classed together." This is 
freelj- admitted ; still, even in the impure and comparatively complex state 
in which^hese products are used by them, they are much less bulky than 
powders or decoctions of the plants from which they are obtained ; they arc 
easily administered, and though preparations more scientifically constructed 
are to be preferred and should be used, it must be allowed that by their 
means a certain advance has been made and an impulse given to the em- 
ployment of medicinal agents of vegetable origin, and hence incidentally 
to Medical Botany. Dr. Parrish also in his Practical Pharmacy sustains 
views similar to those I have long held : 

" Injustice to the so-called Eclectic practitioners, it must be admitted that 
they have been instrumental in introducing to notice some obscure medical 
plants which possess valuable properties ; it is to be regretted that their dis- 
position to run into pharmaceutical empiricism should have so long limited 
their usefulness and damaged their reputation." 

It is this tendency of the age, as exhibited even by those who are justly 
considered as irregular and unscientific, coupled with the efforts and capacity 
of our Pharmaceutical Chemists, that we are indebted for the separation and 
use of Leptandrin, H5'drastin, Irisin, Apocinin, Podophyllin, Caulophyllin, 
etc., and a number of others which are being extensively employed both in 
this country and in Europe; and that the plants from which they are pro- 
duced have been transferred during a comparatively recent period from the 
Secondary Lists and from a subordinate position in the Pharmacopoeia and 
the Dispensatory to the Primary List. 

To so great an extent are Leptandrin and Podophyllin employed at the 
North, that they are " leading articles of production with several of the 
largest manufacturing Pharmaceutists in the United States." 

The use of our Indigenous Medicinal Plants is indeed extending with 
rapid strides ; and those unacquainted with or unobservant of what has 
already and is being done, will be astonished at the progress that twenty 
years more of careful investigation of them, aided by minute chemical re- 
search and the experience obtained from clinical observation, will effect. 

In this latitude, however, strange to say, it is rather regarded as a re- 
proach for the educated Physician to be at all addicted to Botanical inves- 



X PRELIMINARY. 

ligations ; or that he should by any unusual assiduity add to the experience 
and observation acquired by him in the pursuit of his profession even the 
outlines of a practical knowledge of either General or Medical Botany, as 
if it leads necessarily to a blind belief in the potency of drugs ; and so he 
must fain suffer the penalties attached to his uncalled for and too adventur- 
ous search in these forbidden fields. Such knowledge, so limited, has not 
been considered essential or appropriate, as it is everywhere else, even to 
the teacher of Materia Medica and Therapeutics ; yet when the Therapeut- 
ist, who is at all informed as a Botanist, hears only the name of a me- 
dicinal preparation of vegetable origin, or that of an Alkaloid or Kesinoid, 
he knows and associates immediately therewith the name, relations, charac- 
ter and properties of the plant from which it is derived, and conversely. 

In a notice by my distinguished friend, W. Gilmore Simms, Esq., of an 
Article in De Bow's Review, by the writer, he refers in discursive language 
to the " resources of the Southern fields and forests, the natural productions 
in brief of the South — her resources in the woods, and swamps, and fields, 
the earth and rocks ; for purposes of need, utility, medicine, art, science and 
mechanics ; hints to the domestic manufacturer ; to the workers in wood and 
earth; and rock and tree ; and shrub and flower; hints, clues, suggestions 
which may be turned to the most useful purposes; not merely as exjiedients 
during the pressure of war and blockade, but continuously, through all time, 
as aff'ording profit, use, interest and employment to our people." 

From an inspection of the large amount of material embraced in this 
volume, it will be seen that our Southern Flora is extraordinarily rich. 

It is the teeming product of every variety of soil and climate, from Ma- 
ryland to Florida, from Tennessee to Texas. The Atlantic slopes with their 
marine growth, the Mountain ridges of the interior, the almost infra-tropi- 
cal productions of Louisiana and South Florida, with the rich alluvia of the 
River courses — all contribute to swell the lists and produce a wonderful 
exuberance of vegetation. The Southern States occupy almost the whole 
of the Temperate Zone in the Western Hemisphere. Under a genial sun, 
and enduring neither extremes of heat or cold, they are rich in natural re- 
sources, and possess a variety of soil and a range of temperature affected by 
the presence of both sea and mountain. 

Their geological features are diversified and somewhat peculiar. The land 
in the Atlantic States at varying distances from the coast rises evenly and 
insensibly to the height of about two hundred and fifty feet above the gen- 
eral tide level, forming a vast plain abounding in cypress swamps and pine 
and oak ridges, and constituting what is known as the Alluvial formations. 
For the most part, quartzose sands and clays cover the surface from the depth 
of from ten to twenty-five feet or more. These overlay vast beds of Tertiary 
marl, the Eocene, Miocene and Post-pliocene sections of which, composing 
the Limestone regions, crop out and expose their rich fossils in several locali- 
ties. The earth of the swamps and marshes that skirt the rivers and creeks 



PRELIMINARY. XI 

frequently contains a large proportion of peat. Succeeding the above are 
the Primary formations stretching away to the mountains in the interior. 
The soil of this portion, derived from the disintegration of the granite, 
gneiss, clay-slate, and other metamorphic rocks, as they respectively come 
to the surface, and are subjected to atmospheric influences, presents every 
variety of fertility and barrenness. The geological features of the Penin- 
sula of Florida are exceptional. These divisions are distinguished by their 
characteristic vegetation,* and thus we are presented with geographical and 
climatic influences, which combine to produce a relation between heat and 
moisture peculiarly adapted to the production of a variety of species, com- 
prising many of our most active curative agents. The State of New York, 
which is said to include an area equal to the whole of Great Britain, accord- 
ing to Prof. Lee,f out of a Flora of one thousand four hundred and fifty 
species, contains but one hundred and fifty known to be medicinal. Here, it 
will be observed, in a space at the South considerably smaller in extent, a 
much laTt;er proportion exists. My Sketch of the Medical Botany of S. C. 
embraced a notice of four hundred and ten species, out of about three thou- 
sand five hundred, possessed of medicinal or economic value ; including, 
however, among these, some few exotic or introduced. A single circum- 
scribed locality in the lower section of the same State, but ten miles in 
diameter, furnishes one and one-third more than the whole of New York. 
We can readily perceive what the South at large, with an expanse of terri- 
tory equalling that of Great Britain, France and Germany combined, is 
capable of producing. 

Hence, though the South has been swept as by a whirlwind, and, like one 
of its native pines, scathed and blasted by the lightnings of war, its inherent 
powers of reproduction are almost limitless. Its seasons of spring and 
summer are long ; the navigation of its rivers is scarcely ever interrupted, 
and during the whole year its people may be continuously and industriously 
occupied. Heretofore, they have been almost exclusively confined to the 
labors of the field — in the production and preparation of those seven great 
staple articles of consumption and of export, viz : Cotton, Rice, Sugar, To- 

*"In short, the Flora of the upper verge of the Tertiary is as distinct from that of 
the rest of the State as are the two geoln;:;ical systems which meet there from each 
other." Prof. Tuome3''s Geolog. Rep. of S. C, p. 140. I have i-epeatedly observed 
similar relations affecting a more limited space. 

Throughout the States bordering on the ocean at varying distances from the coast, 
the same geological divisions are found, only differing in breadth and extent, and 
presenting great similarity as respects soil and vegetation. 

Thus I have carefully noted the Flora and face of the country prevailing in Fair- 
field Countv, S. C, and Povrhattan, Va., and have observed a marked resemblance in 
almost every respect. A narrow strip of Long leaf Pine, for example, is found bor- 
dering the southeastern extremities of each of these counties. See Report to Elliott 
Soc. of Charleston. 

f A Catalogue of the Medic. Plants, Indig. and Exot., growing in the State of 
New York. By C. A. Lee, Prof. Mat. Med., etc. New York, 1848. 



XU PRELIMINARY. 

bacco, Wheat, Corn and Turpentine, whicli though dethroned as " Kings," 
yet still create or move the commerce of the world and form the wealth of 
States. Now, however, immense Mills and Manufactories must spring up 
to consume the raw material of the most important of these products, which 
is grown at their doors, and which has heretofore been carried elsewhere to 
be returned to us burdened with the cost of transportation and of the labor 
and skill expended upon its conversion into fabrics. 

It will, therefore, be observed how important it is for us to understand 
the Flora as well as the soil of a country ; and as one at least of our staple 
commodities has suflered, we must seek to diversify our industries ; and by 
a more intelligent observation we may discover new products adapted to 
our wants and capable of being produced here. It will be observed that 
most of our useful Plants are not indigenous. Many now in the woods may, 
by careful cultivation, become greatly improved in quality, and tenfold 
more productive — as has already been done with our wild grapes, apples, 
cauliflowers, strawberries, etc., etc. 

Central Botanical Gardens should be established in place of Parks, which 
may be made useful to the industry of man, and are as important to a State 
as Geological Surveys. 

I here introduce a notice of upwards of five hundred substances, possessing 
every variety of useful quality. Some will be rejected as useless, others 
may be found upon closer examination to be still more valuable. The most 
precious of all Textile Fibres and Grains, Silks, Seeds, Fruits, Oils, Gums, 
Caoutchouc, Kesins, Dyes, Fecula, Albumen, Sugar, Starch, Vegetable 
Acids and Alkalies, Liquors, Spirit, Burning Fluid, material for making 
Paper and Cordage, Grasses and Forage Plants, Barks, Medicines, Wood 
for Tanning and the production of Chemical Agencies, for Timber, Ship- 
building, Engraving, Furniture, Implements and Utensils of every descrip- 
tion — all abound in the greatest munificence, and need but the arm of the 
authorities or the energy and enterprise of the private citizen to be made 
sources of utility, profit or beauty. 

Among the Kesources of the South, I had intended to refer to the Phos- 
phates recently discovered and developed, in one section, at least, which 
may contribute so materially to improve the production of our Fields. I 
had prepared a history of them, to be published as an appendix to this volume, 
but the want of space forbids. 

There is a subject, however, which the writer has been long reflecting 
upon, and which he considers one of supreme importance, whether we regard 
the improvement of our Cultivated Crops, or the Fields and Forests of the 
country. If successfully carried out, it will reclaim and render fit for tillage 
vast bodies of lands now lying idle, and greatly improve their sanitary 
condition. It will also make white labor available during the whole year, 
and greatly stimulate immigration. 

I refer to the Drainage of the Marshes and Swamp lands, particularly 



PRELIMINARY. XIH 

those near the Cities and along the River courses. This, save in particular 
instances, cannot now be done by the separate and isolated efforts of planters 
and farmers, but should be accomplished as a public work by the State. Op- 
erations could be commenced on the inland Swamps, each of which presents 
an independent problem to the Civil Engineer. Along our coasts, at a 
distance of forty miles from the sea, there is a rise of about twenty feet above 
the general tide level, giving a fall of half a foot to the mile, which is 
sufficient. In my own experience, these are capable of thorough and per- 
fect drainage. 

The Engineer Mills, in his Statistics of S. Carolina, published in 1826, has 
presented an elaborate scheme of this kind, by which it was proposed that 
the State should purchase so many slaves, and when the Swamps were 
drained, the lands so improved and increased in value should be sold to the 
Farmers and Planters. 

Enterprises of a similar nature, on an extensive scale, have long since, as 
is generally known, been successfully prosecuted in Holland and in Belgium. 
The Harlaem Meer, drained in 1839, was 4,500 acres in extent, with an 
average depth of thirteen feet. The works were executed by the government 
at an expense of 151. 5s. per acre. The whole of the bed of the lake has 
been brought into cultivation, and the government has been partially repaid 
by the sale of the land. Large tracts of alluvial land have been reclaimed, 
both in Holland and Belgium. The Campine, in Belgium, has been sub- 
jected to a system of both drainage and irrigation. 

Large Bogs in Ireland, the Chat Moss, and the Bogs of Allen have been 
successfully reclaimed by surface ditches and by auger-holes descending to 
the pervious strata below. 

Fens and Morasses in Yorkshire, and in various other counties in England ^ 
have been transformed from barrenness to fertility, and now yield abun- 
dant crops of pasturage. 

In Milan, the system of irrigation is extensively practiced on Meadow 
land, and near Mantua, as in the time of Virgil, the superabundant water 
has been reduced within its proper channels, to the great advantage of the 
State. 

The operations by the late East India Company have been brilliant in 
their results, the engineers availing themselves of the huge works of their 
Indian predecessors. Fifty per cent, has been realized.* 

The French in Algiers have succeeded in draining and reducing to suc- 
cessful cultivation the entire plain of the Alemtijo, which was before an 
unhealthy region, and which now produces abundantly all the tropical fruits, 
grains, etc., to supply the demands of the mother country. 

*See, for more practical details, The Rudiments of Hydraulic Engineering, by G. 
R. Burnell, F. G. S., Civil Engineer ; The Art of Draining Districts and Lands, 
and Drainage and Sewage of Towns, by Gr. D. Dempsey, C. E.; and Embanking 
Lands from the Sea, by Jno. Wiggins, F. G. S. J. S. Virtue, London. I insert 
these references on account of the truth of the maxim : "Scire ubi aliquid invenire 
possis, maxima pars scientiee est." The first thing is to know where to get infor- 
mation. 



XIV PRELIMINARY. 

The writer has seen the picturesque and fertile Valley of the Chiana ia 
Italy, smiling in peace and plenty, strewn with villas and farmhouses, and 
intersected by the best constructed roads, always so indicative of wealth and 
abundance; yet this beautiful Valley, which now supplies all Tuscany with 
corn, wine and oil, was once a pestilential and almost deserted region, and 
noted in the earliest times for its insalubrity, as evidenced by the striking 
allusion made to it by Dante in the Inferno.* 

This has been accomplished by the skill of Count Fossombroni, who fol- 
lowed the plan recommended by Torricelli in draining the Maremma by 
hydraulic engineering. It is known as the system of Colmates, and consists 
in turning the course of rivers or streams coming from clay-hills, so that 
they deposit the sand and mud with which they are charged, and thus raises 
tbe general level and at the same time causing a fall of the stagnant water, 
converts it into a rich and fertile tract. (Opere Pratiche sopra il Val di 
Chiana, published at Montepulciano ; a copy of which is in the possession 
of the writer.) 

The simplest plans for draining the secondary or inland Swamps, is to run 
a straight central canal, which removes the obstructions caused by logs and 
mud flats, and takes off the main body of water. A canal or drain is also 
cut on each side to receive the water coming in from the surrounding high 
lands. The underground system with Tiles, generally practiced in England 
and on the Continent, is only applicable in this country to a limited extent 
at present. 

The lands throughout a large portion of the South are quite rich 
enough for every purpose, and we need not go to the West or elsewhere 
in quest of better soil. Since emancipation, immigrants from Europe may 
be employed in these public works now proposed. The cutting down the 
trees and exposing the surface to the almost constant action of the sun, will 
subject it to the important agency of evaporation ; the removal of the causes 
of malaria will be the result; and if complete exemption of the sickly por- 
tions of the States from its baneful influences and from periodical fevers, by 
which white labor is made possible, is not secured, the hygienic condition of 
the whole country will, at least, be improved, and the wealth and happiness 
of our citizens generally enormously increased. 

By draining our Swamps, we secure a soil for corn, cane, etc., enriched by 
the vegetable matter accumulated for centuries, and the higher lands are 
released for cotton and other crops. 

Besides, when we drain the Swamps there ensues an interstitial drainage, 
by a process of molecular absorption incessantly acting, which extends for 
miles around, affecting the high lands at a much greater distance than many 

®Qual dolor fora se degli spedali 

T)i Valdichiana, tra'l luglio e'l settembre, 
E di Maremma e di Sardigna i mall 
FoFsero in una fossa tutti insembre. 

Canto xxix, and the Paradiso, e. xiii. 



PRELIMINARY. XV 

would suppose, rendering them drier, and allowing pines, oaks and other 
plants to spring up where before only swamp trees and rank grasses grew. 

Islands and isolated sections of country favorably situated, as, for example, 
those adjoining Charleston, and embraced between the Cooper and Ashley, 
the same being true of those lying near other cities, and along our coast, can 
be drained and made rich and habitable even in the warm months. They 
will be occupied by Garden Farms which will supply, not only the cities con- 
tiguous to them, but fill our ships going to the North with fruits, vegetables 
and produce. 

Many of us residing on the Coast are aware of what was accomplished in 
the way of Embankments by our fathers and the earlier settlers of the 
State. They were built for the most part to aid in the cultivation of rice, 
but the femains of these immense banks attest the industry and enterprise 
of our people and are an earnest of what we ourselves may accomplish when 
fostered and aided by the State. 

It is true that much of this work was done Tinder the system of primo- 
geniture, when it was in the power and to the interest of the owner of the 
soil to make lasting improvements, and by so doing look for the permanent 
welfare of his descendants. A diiferent organization of labor and capital 
also enabled the private individual to accomplish more then than now. 
These considerations, however, furnish arguments in support of the same 
being done by the State ; which should, when it becomes necessary, perform 
for its citizens those acts of public utility, the right or the ability to do which 
depended upon systems and institutions which it has, from reasons of policy 
or interest, abolished or destroyed, and being deprived of which, they suffer. 

To carry out the project imperfectly unfolded above, the State or Govern- 
ment may organize a Drainage Commission or Joint Stock Association, 
which will make the financial scheme a feasible and successful one, into the 
details of which I cannot now enter. Its realization is doubtless impossible 
at present ; but viewed in every light as respects the common welfare, it in- 
volves enterprises which are to us and to those coming after us of com- 
manding importance and worthy of the most thoughtful consideration. 

"When the time arrives for its execution, the wisdom and policy of the 
step being apparent, it will establish the distinction of any Administration 
which undertakes it, or the fame of any Statesman who shall have the wit to 
use his influence successfully to achieve it. Finis coronat opus. 



WORKS CONSULTED AND ABBRBYIATIONS USED. 



Catalogus Plantarum Angliaj, cum Observationibus et 
Experimentis Novis Medicis et Physicis. Londini, 1667. 
Auct. Johannes Ray. 

English Physician. By Nicholas Culpepper, gent., 
" Student in Physic and Astrology." " An Astrologo- 
Physiological Discourse on Vulgar Herbs," etc. 

BuUiard, Ilistoire des Plantes Veneneuses de la France, ) 
4 vols. P«fis, 1774. J 

Hortus Amerieanus. By Dr. Barham. 

Linna3us, Vegetable Mat. Medica. Translated by C. ) 
Whitlaw. J 

Demonstrations Elementaire de Botanique. Containing"! 
dem., veg., phys. properties, and uses of plants. AVith ( 
much inibrmation concerning the vegetable veterinary j 
practice, etc. By J. tiillibert. Lyons, 1787. J 

Plantffi Rariores llibernia Inventa;, etc. With Remarks 
on the Properties and Uses. By Walter Wade, M. D., M. 
L. S. Dublin, 1804. 

Le Medecin Herboriste. Paris, 1802. 

New Med. Discoveries, 2 vols. London, 1829. By C. ) 
AVhitlaw. J 

Am. Herbal, or Materia Medica. With New Medical ) 
Discoveries. By Samuel Stearns, LL. D. Walpole, 1801. ] 

Flora Scotica. By John Lightfoot. Edinburg. 

Indigenous Botany. By Colin Milne, LL. D., and Alex- 1 
ander Gordon. London, 179.S. J 

A New Family Herbal ; or, an Account of Plants and 
their Properties in Medicine and the Arts. By R. J. 
Thornton. London, 1810. 

Lindlej^'s Natural Sj'stem of Botany. With the Uses "1 
of Important Species in Medicine, the Arts, and Domestic > 
Economy. London, 1836. J 

Medical Botany. By W. Woodville, 4 vols. London, ) 
1790. Sec. edition, 1800. J 

Barton's Med. Botany. 

W. P. Barton's Flora. Philadelphia, 1823. 

Rafinesque's Medical Flora. 

Bigelow's Am. Medical Botany, 4 vols. Boston, 1820. 

Barton's Collection towards the Formation of a Materia ] 
Medica. J 

Medical Botany. With the uses of Important Species "] 
in Medicine, the Arts, etc. By R. E. Griffith. Philadel- [ 

phia, 1847. J 

Illustrations of Medical Botany. By Joseph Carson, ] 
M. D. With Descriptions, etc. Philadelphia, 1847. J 



ABBREVIATIOXS. 

Cat. Plantarum. 

Gulp. Eng. Phys. 

Bull Plantes Ven. de 
France. 

Bar. Hort. Amer. 

Linn. Veg. M. Med. 
Dem. Elem. de Bot. 

Wade's PI. Rariores. 

Le Med. Herb. 
AVhitlaw's New Med. 
Disc. 

Steam's Am. Herbal. 

Fl. Scotica. 

Milne Ind. Bot. 

Thornton's Fam. Herb. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 

Woodv. Med. Bot. 

Bart. M. Bot. 
Bart. Flora. 
Raf. Med. Fl. 
Big. Am. Med. Bot. 

Barton's Collec. 

Griffith's Med. Bot. 

Carson's Illust. Med. 
Bot. 



erary 



1 

Sheeut's Flora Carolinceensis ; or, a History, Medical ^ 

and Economical, of the Vegetable Kingdom. Charleston, \ Shee. Flora Carol. 
1806. j 

Elliott's Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina and ) j^jj_ jj^^_ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 
Georgia. With Medical Notes. Charleston, 1800. J 

Drayton's View of South Carolina. Charleston, 1802. Drayton's View. 

Chalmers History of South Carolina. Chalmer's Hist. S. C. 

Garden's and Lining's Observations, Physical and Lit- | Q^^i\^ and Lin Obs 

iry. i ' ' 

Travels in South and North Carolina. By John Law- | Liwson's S C 
son, Surveyor-General, 1716. J ' 

United States Dispensatory. By Wood and Bache. ] \-\ ^ t);™ 

Philadelphia, 1846. 12th Edition, 1868. J lj. o. i^i..p. 

Thacher's United States Dispensatory. Thaeher's U. S. Disp. 

American Dispensatory. By R. Coxe. Coxe, Am. Disp. 

Bergii Materia Medica. E. regno vegetabili, etc. Stock- ] j^gj-o-ii Mat Med 
holmiaj, 1782. J o > ' • ^ 

Cullen's Materia Medica. Edinburgh. Cullen, Mat. Med. 

Lewis' Materia Medica, 2 vols. London, 1791. Le. Mat. Med. 

Pereira's Materia Medica and Therapeutics, 2 vol- ) Pe. Mat. Med. and 
umes. j Therap. 

Practical Dictionary of Materia Medica. By John Bell, f Tj„ii'g p,.oet Diet 
Philadelphia. ( 

Eberle's Materia Medica and Therapeutics, 2 vols. Phila- ) ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ 

delphia, 1834. j 

Edwards and Vavasseur's Matiere Medicale. Paris, ] Ed. and Vav. Mat. 
1836. ]■ Med. 

Trousseau et Pidoux, Traite de Therapeutique, et de Ma- [ Trous. ct Pid. Mat. 
ticre Medicale. Paris, 1837. J Med. 

Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics. By H. R. | Frost's Elms. Mat. 
Frost, Prof. M. M. Medical College of South Carolina. J Med. 

Chapman's Therapeutics and Materia Medica, 2 vols. ) Chap. Therap. and 
Philadelphia, 1822. j Mat. Med. 

Bailed and Garrod's Materia Medica. London, 1846. Ball, k Gar. Mat. Med. 

Royle's Materia Medica and Therapeutics. Philadelphia, ) ■Rovlc Mat Med 
1847. 5 J ' • • 

Merat and de Lens' Dietionnaire Univ. de Matiere Medi- ) Mer. and de L. Diet, 
cale. Paris, 1837, tom. vi. \ de M. Med. 

Supplementary volume to the above. Paris, 1846. K Univ de M Med 

Watson's Practice of Physic. Second American Edition, j Watson's Practice 
Philadelphia, 1845. I Physic. 

Stille's Therapeutics and Materia Medica. Philadelphia, 1862-'6. 

Statistics of South Carolina. A View of its Natural, Civil and Military History. 
By Robert Mills, Civil Engineer. Charleston, 1826. 

Southern Agriculturist. Charleston, 1820-'39. So. Agricult. 

Matson's Vegetable Practice. 1839. Matson's Veg. Pract. 

Imp. System Botanical Medicine. By Horton Howard. Imp. Syst. Bot. Med. 

Pharmacopoeias, Journals, Reviews, Monographs, Inaugural Theses, etc., both 
American and foreign. 

The Principles of Agriculture, by' Albert D. Thaer, translated by William Shaw, 
Esq., member of the council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, etc., 
and C. W. Johnson, Esq., F. R. S. 4th Edition. New York : Bangs, Brother & Co., 
1852. 

Flora of the Southern United States, containing an abridged description of the 
flowering plants and ferns of Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, 



Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, arranged according to the natural sj-stem, by A. 
W. Chapman, M. D. The lems by Daniel, C. Eaton. New York, 1800. 

Rural Economy, in its relations with chemistry, physics, and meteorology, or chem- 
istry applied to agriculture, by J. B. Boussingault, member of Institute of France, etc. 
Translated by (Jeorgo Law, Agriculturalist. New York, C. M. Saxton, 1857. 

Saxton's Rural Hand Books. New York, 1852. 

Thornton's Southern Gardener, and Receipt Book. Camden, S. C. 

Enquire Within ; 3,700 facts. New York, 1857. 

The Fruit Gardener. Philadelphia, 1847. 

Downing's Fruit and Fruit Trees of America. New York, 1858. 

The Southern Farmer and Market Gardener, by Prof. F. S. Holmes, Charleston, 
S.C. 

The Art of Manufacturing Soaps and Candles. By P. Kurten. Philadelphia, 
Linsay & Blakiston, 1854-. 

Industrial Resources of the South and West, by J. D. B. DeBow. New Orleans, 
1853. 

Sorgho and Imphee, the Chinese and African Sugar Canes, by H. S. Olcott. New 
York, 1857. 

lire's Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines. From the 4th English edition. 
New York, 1853. 

Chemistry applied to Agriculture, by Count John Antony Chaptal. Boston, 
1835. 

Chemical Field Lectures, by J. A. Stockhardt. Translated from the German. Cam- 
bridge, 1853. 

Parrish, Practical Pharmacy. Philadelphia, 1859. This work contains informa- 
tion respecting the active principles of plants, oils, acids, etc., with many jiharma- 
ceutical details. 

Positive Medical Agents, a Treatise on the new alkaloid, resinoid and concentrated 
preparations of native and foreign Medical Plants ; by authoritj' of the American 
Chemical Institute. New York, 1854. 

The Art of Tanning and Leather Dressing. By Prof. H. Dussouce. Philadelphia 
and London, 1867. 

A Muck Manual, by Samuel L. Dana. New York, 1858. 

The Fruit Garden. A Treatise by P. Barry. New .York, 1857. 

Practical Treatise on Culture of Grape, by J. Fiskc Allen. New York, 1858. 

Charlton on Culture of Exotic Grape under Glass. New York, 1853. 

Elements of Scientific Agriculture, by S. P. Norton, Professor in Yale College, 
New York, 1854. 

A Manual of Scientific and Practical Agriculture, for the School and the Farm, by 
J. L. Campbell, A. M., Professor Physical Science, Washington College, Va. Phila- 
delphia, 1859. 

The American Grape Grower's Guide, intended especially for the climate of America. 
Illustrated by AVilliam Charlton. New York, A. 0. Moore, 1859. For full description 
of best modes of cultivating the grape. 

Sorgho and Imphee, the Chinese and African Sugar Canes. Manufacture of sugar 
syrup, alchohol, wines, beer, cider, vinegar, starch, and dye stuffs, with translations 
of French Pamphlets, etc., etc., and drawing of machinery, by H. S. Olcott. New 
York, A. 0. Moore, 1857. 

Patent Oflice Reports, Agriculture, 1848, '51, '53, '54, '55, '5(5, '57, '58. 

Rural Chemistr}', by Edward Solly, F. L. S., Honorary Member of Royal Agricul- 
tural Society, England. Philadelphia, Henry C. Baird, 1852. 

The Rural Cyclopaedia, or a General Dictionary of Agriculture, and of the Arts, 
Sciences, Instruments, and Practice necessary to the Farmer, etc. Edited by Rev. 
Jno. M. Wilson. In four volumes. Edinburgh, 1852, A. Fullarton. 

General Directions for Collecting and Drying Medicinal Substances, with a list of 
Indigenous Plants. From the Surgeon-General's office, 1862. Richmond. A pam- 
phlet. 



Tobacco Culture. Practical details from the selection and preparation of the Seed 
and Soil to harvesting, curing, and marketing the crop. Plain Directions, as given 
by fourteen experienced cultivators. New York, 1867-8. 

Essays on Cultivation of Flax Seed and Castor Beans. Published by the St. Louis 
Seed and Oil Co., 1868. 

A Catalogue of Indigenous and Naturalized Plants of the State of North Carolina, 
by Rev. M. A. Curtis, D. D. Raleigh, 1867. This contains over a hundred edible 
Mushrooms, designated by italics. Mr. Curtis will soon publish Illustrations of these 
Fungi. 

I have not enumerated the numerous authorities I had examined with reference to 
the Medicinal and Economical properties of the Cryptogamic Plants, Fungi, and others 
of this class. 

The following works, published in England, may be referred to in ease any are 
desirous of consulting them : 

Miller's Gardener's Dictionary, Marshall on Planting, Nichols' Planter's Calendar, 
Ponty's Profitable Planter, Phillips' Shrubbery, Treatise on Planting in the Lil)rary 
of Useful Knowledge, Loudon's Encyclopasdia of Plants, Accum on the Adulterations 
of Food, Babbage on the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures, Thompson's Veg- 
etable Chemistry, Knapp's Technology, Willich's Domestic Encyclopaedia. See, also, 
Treatise by Dr. J. Harris, of Mass., on Insects injurious to Vegetation, and Townsend 
Glover's papers on same subject in Patent OflRce Reports. 

^^®*" Those interested in obtaining foreign seeds, plants, etc., can obtain them by 
applying to James Carter & Co., and Butler and McCuUoch, of London ; William 
Thompson, of Iswich, England ; and Vilmorin, Andreux & Cie., Paris, France. 

Dr. Pai-rish in his " Practical Pharmacy," says that the cultivation of medicinal plants 
in this country, for sale, as such, is mainly confined to the beautiful valley in Colum- 
bia, Co., N. Y., where it is pursued by the Shakers and by Tilden & Co. " This dis- 
trict seems specially adapted to the purpose, and like the celebrated Physic gardens of 
Mitcham, England, furnishes a great variety and in large quantity." " For an inter- 
esting account," he adds, "of the Physic gardens of Mitcham, see Am. J. Pharm. 
v. XXIIL, p. 25 ; for some details in regard to the N. Lebanon gardens, where every 
kind of medicinal preparation from native and medicinal plants, are prepared on an 
extensive scale, see the same Journal, v. XXIIL, p. 386." 

The gathering of the Sumac leaves so extensively and profitably pursued in Va. 
(1868), and to which I had invited attention as an original suggestion in the first Edi- 
tion of this Book (see Sumac), is well worthy of imitation as an industrial pursuit by 
a large number of people residing in other States, and I therefore give prominence to 
it by the above reference. 



INTRODUCTION. 



GENEEAL DIEECTIONS 

FOR 

COLLECTING AND DKYING MEDICINAL SUBSTANCES OF 
THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING. 

All leaves, flowers, and herbs should be preferably gathered 
in clear, dry weather, in the morning, after the dew is exhaled. 

The roots of medicinal plants, although more advantageously 
gathered at certain periods, to be hereafter specified, do not lose 
their medicinal virtues in consequence of being dug in mid- 
summer. It is probable that most of those imported are thus 
collected by savages or ignorant persons, when the plant is in 
full leaf, it being then more easily recognized. 

Plants, Annual, should be gathered at the time when their 
vegetation is most vigorous, which is generally from the time 
they begin to flower until their leaves begin to change. 

Plants, Biennial, should, in most instances, be gathered in 
the second season of their growth, and about the time of 
flowering. 

EooTS OF Annuals are to be gathered just before the time of 
flowering. 

EooTS OF Biennials are to be gathered after the vegetation 
of the first year has ceased. 

EooTS OF Perennials are to be gathered in the spring, before 
vegetation has commenced. Eoots should be washed, and the 
smaller fibres, unless they are the part employed, should be 
then separated from the body of the root, which, when of any 
considerable size, is to be cut in slices previous to being dried. 

Bulbs are to be gathered after the new bulb is perfected, and 
before it has begun to vegetate, which is at the time the leaves 



decay. Those which are to be preserved fresh should be buried 
in dry sand. 

Barks, whether of the root, trunk, or branches, should be 
gathered in the autumn, or early in the spring. The dead 
epidermis or outer bark, and the decayed parts, should be 
i-emoved. Of some trees (as the elm) the inner bark only is 
preserved. 

Leaves are to be gathered after their full development, before 
the fading of the flowers. The leaves of biennials do not attain 
their perfect qualities until the second year. 

Flowers should, in general, be gathered at the time of their 
expansion, before or immediately after they have fully opened ; 
some — as the Eosa Gallica — while in bud. 

Aromatic Herbs are to be gathered when in flower. 

Stalks and Twigs should be collected in~autumn. 

Seeds should be collected at the period of their full maturity. 



DIRECTIONS rOR DRYING. 

Medicinal products of the vegetable kingdom (as plants, roots, 
etc.) should be dried as rapidly as is consistent with their per- 
fect preservation, but not subjected to extreme heat. 

Those collected in the warm months and during dry weather 
may, except in a few instances, be dried by their spontaneous 
evaporation, in a well ventilated apartment; some — as roots 
and barks — may be exposed to the direct rays of the sun. 

In spring and autumn, and in damp, foggy, or rainy weather, 
a drying-house should be resorted to ; the temperature to range 
from 70° to 100° F. There should be an aperture above for the 
escape of warm, moist air. 

Fibrous Eoots may be dried in the sun, or at a heat of from 
65° to 80° F. in the drying-room. 

Fleshy Eoots should be cut in transverse slices, not exceed- 
ing half an inch in length, and during the drying process should 
be stirred several times to prevent their moulding. 

Bulbs must have the coarse outer membrane peeled off". In 
other respects they are to be treated like fleshy roots. 



Barks, Woods and Twigs readily dry, in thin layers, in the 
open air. 

Leaves, after separation from the stalks, should be strewed 
losely over hurdle-frames, and their position changed twice a 
day, until they become dry. When very succulent, they require 
more care to prevent their discoloration. For thin, dry leaves, 
the heat need not exceed 70° F. ; for the succulent, it may 
gradually be raised to 100° F. 

Annual Plants and Tops. — If not too juicy, thesemay be 
tied loosel}^ in small bundles, and strung on lines stretched 
across the drj'ing-room. 

Flowers must be dried carcfull}^ and rapidly, so as to pre- 
serve tlTeir color. Thej^ should be spread loosely on the hurdles, 
and turned several times by stirring. When flowers or leaves 
owe their virtues to volatile oils, gi'cater care is necessary. 

A carefully pressed specimen of the stem, leaf, and flower of 
each medicinal substance collected, whether it be bark, root, or 
herb, should be obtained and forwarded with each collection, 
for the purpose of aiding in its identification. The above is from 
" General Directions" and List of Plants — a pamphlet issued 
from Surgeon-General's Office, 1862. Consult, also, XJ. S. Dis- 
pensatory. 



The two following papers, contributed by the writer to a 
Periodical during the war, are introduced befoi'e entering upon 
the systematic portion of the Work, because they contain 
information, in a condensed shape, which may be practically 
useful : 

brief notice op easily procurable medicinal plants, to be 

collected by soldiers while in service in any 

part op the southern states. 

My attention having been occupied with the subject of the 
substitutes for imported Medicines, I have thought that if some 
hints were given the Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons in the 
field, with respect to the useful properties of a few articles 
(easily attainable in every part of the country), it would 



greatly lessen the use of the more expensive medicines. One 
man detailed from each company, or from a regiment, could 
obtain a full supply of each substance fresh, for the use of the 
Surgeon, and this at less trouble and expense than if it was 
procured by the Medical Purveyors, to be distributed to the 
regiments. I will mention some of these substances. They 
are familiar to all, but still without special recommendation, 
they are likely to escape attention : 

Sassafras (Laiirus). — Whilst engaged in active duties as Sur- 
geon to the Holcombe Legion, whenever a soldier suffered 
from measles, pneumonia, bronchitis, or cold, his companion or 
nurse was directed to procure the roots and leaves of Sassafras, 
and a tea made with this supplied that of Flax Seed or G-um 
Arabic, The leaf of the Sassafras contains a great amount of 
mucilage. 

Bene {Sesamum). — The leaves of the Bene may be used in camp 
dysentery, in colds, coughs, etc., in place of Gum Arabic or 
Flax Seed. One or two leaves in a tumbler of water imparts 
their mucilaginous properties. 

Dogwood {Cormis Florida'). — During the late war, the bark has 
been employed with great advantage in place of quinine in fe- 
vers — particularly in cases of low forms of fever, and in dysen- 
tery, on the river courses, of a tj^hoid character. It is given as 
a substitute for Peruvian barks. In fact, in almost any case 
where the Cinchona bark was used. 

Thoroughwort, Bone-set (Eupatorium perfoUatum). — Thorough- 
wort, drank hot during the cold stage of fever, and cold as a 
tonic and antiperiodic, is thought by many physicians to be 
even superior to the Dogwood, Willow, or Poplar, as a sub- 
stitute for quinine. It is quite sufficient in the management of 
many of the malarial fevers that will prevail among troops dur- 
ing the Avarm months ; and if it does not supply entirely the 
place of quinine, will certainly lessen the need for its use. These 
plants can be easily procured in every locality. 

Tulip Bearing Foplar {Liriodendron) and the Willow bark sup- 
ply remedies for the fevers met with in camp. The Cold infu- 
sion is given. 

Sweet Gum (Liquidamhar Styraciflua) . — The inner bark con- 
tains an astringent, gwnmy substance. If it is boiled in milk. 



or a tea made with water, its astringency is so great that it will 
easily check diarrhoea, and associated with the use of other 
remedies, dysentery also. The leaf of the gum, Avhen green, I 
have also ascertained to be powerfully astringent, and to con- 
tain as large a proportion of tannin as that of any other tree. 
I believe that the Grum leaf and the leaf of the Myrtle and 
Blackberry can be used wherever an astringent is required ; 
cold water takes it up. They can, I think, be also used for tan- 
ning leather, when green, in place of oak bark. 

Blackberry Root {JRuhus). — A decoction will check profuse 
diarrhoeas of any kind. The root of the Chinquapin (Gastanea) 
is also astringent. 

Gentian. — Our native tonics are abundant. Several varieties 
of Gentian, Sabbatia, etc., may be added to those mentioned. 
The Pipissewa, or Winter Green (Chimaphila), is both an aro- 
matic tonic and a diuretic, and therefore selected in the conva- 
lescence from low fevers followed by dropsical symptoms. These, 
the numerous aromatic plants, etc., are not intended to take the 
place of other medicines, which can be obtained and are re- 
quired. It is not intended that a blind or exclusive reliance 
should be placed in them — but they were recommended to sup- 
ply a great and pressing need. 

Holly (Ilex Opaca'). — The bai'k of the holly root chewed, or a 
tea made with it, yields an excellent bitter demulcent, very use- 
ful in coughs, colds, etc. The bitter principle is also tonic. The 
Holly contains bird-lime. 

Wild Jalap (Podophyllum Peltatiim. — If this can be found it 
can be used as a laxative in place of rhubarb or jalap, or 
wherever a purgative is required. Every planter in the South, 
ern States can produce the opium, mustard, and flax seed that is 
needed for home use. 

Swamp Dragon, (Saururus Cernuus), — The roots of this plant, 
growing abimdantly in the swamps and marshes along the sea- 
board, boiled and mashed, furnish an easily procurable and high- 
ly soothing material for poultices — admirably adapted to the 
wants of large bodies of men in camps, as well as of negroes on 
our plantations. 

Potash, pearlash, and soda are easily procurable from the 
ashes of certain plants. Our Salsola Kali, growing on the sea 



10 

coast, is rich in soda. Consult Index for references to more de- 
tailed information. 



SOUTHERN TREES ADAPTED TO THE PURPOSES OF THE MANUFAC- 
TURER AND WOOD ENGRAVER. 

In ansM'cr to an inquirj^ of a correspondent, I gave the names 
of several Trees growing at the South as probably suited for the 
purposes of the wood engraver. To these I will now add those 
noticed by subsequent correspondents, and also call attention to 
two or three other Trees with wood of great fineness and density 
of structure, which may be tested as substitutes for the wood 
heretofore imported from the North; and which are also likely 
to prove serviceable whenever a wood of hai'd, line grain is 
required by the manufacturer. 

Iron Wood, Horn Beam (Ostrya Virginica, Ell. Sk.) — It has 
often been employed by turners, and wrought into mill-cogs, 
wheels, etc. The wood is tough and white, and will prove an 
important acquisition to those interested in machinery, or in the 
construction of implements, tools, etc. 

White Beech, {Fagxis sylvatica). — Diffused. This wood is very 
hard, is capable of receiving a high polish, and should be prized 
by cabinet makers and turners for manufacturing purposes. 

Sioeet Birch, Cherry Birch, Mountain Mahogany (Betula lenta, 
Jjinn.) — Grows in the mountains of South Carolina and G-eorgia, 
possesses a fine grain, and also susceptible of a beautiful polish. 
The Red Birch {Betula. nigra) grows in our swamps in the lower 
country. The Black Birch is said by Lindley to be exceedingly 
hard. 

White Oak {Quercus alba). — One of the best of the Oaks, with 
the Live Oak, likely to be employed wherever great durability 
is desirable ; these, with the Walnut and Maple, are well known. 

Dog Wood {Cormis Florida). — Much used on our plantations 
wherever a wood of firmness of texture is required. 

Persimmon (JDiospyros Virginiana). — A very hard wood — in 
the natural family of plants found under what is known as the 
Ebony tribe. 



11 

The Holhj (Ilex opaca), the Apple and Pear are very much 
esteemed by many; perhaps harder than an}^ of those cited. 
These may be more particularly adapted to the purposes of the 
wood engraver. 

The Calico Bush, Ivy Bush, {Kaiinia latifoUa). — Grows in our 
middle districts. Wood hard and dense. 

Mountain Laurel, Bay (Rhododendron maximuni) — Found in 
our mountains ; said to resemble the Kalmia, and quoted by a 
writer as adapted to the j^urposes of the engraver. 

Iron Wood. — Another tree named from its supposed firmness 
(Bumelia Lycioides Ell. Sk.) 1 have collected it in Charleston, 
and forty miles from the ocean. 

Yellow Locust Tree, False Acacia (Rohinia pseudoaccacice, L.) — 
In mountains and in lower districts. The grain is fine and 
compact ; the wood, on account of its durability, is much used 
for treenails in ship building. 

Leather Wood {Lirca palustris). — Grows in Georgia ; is both 
hard and pliable. 

Arbor Vitoi (Thuja occidentalis). — Grows in the mountains. 
The wood said by Michaux to be the most durable whicli our 
forests produce. 

The soft woods are : the Cedar, the Cypress, the Black Spruce, 
or Fir (Finns nigra, Alton), the Finns strobus (growing in the 
mountains), and the Spruce tree of our low country swamps 
which might well supply the place of Northern pine. All these, 
with the Willow (Salix nigra'), are used for the timbers and 
spars of boats. The last is both soft and durable. Mr. Elliott 
says, in his Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina, that the 
wood of the Eed Mulberry (Morus rubra) is preferred in the 
building of boats to that of any other, except the Red Cedar. 

The wood of the Black Gum (Nyssa aquatica), particular!}'- 
the portion near the ground, is peculiarly white, spongy, and 
light. It has great elasticity, and a specific gravity almost low 
enough to adapt it, in the opinion of the writer, to be used as a 
substitute for the bark of the Cork tree. The Sycamore is a 
very light wood, and the Catalpa also. 



12 

The Poplar is well known for its qualities of softness and 
lightness. The Maple less so. The Pride of India is light and 
durable, and susceptible of polish with a pretty grain under 
varnish, adapting it to the purposes of the manufacturer. But 
these do not resist water when submerged, as do the softer 
woods first mentioned, viz : the Cypress, Cedar, or the Palmetto, 
which is characteristically soft, porous, and elastic. 



RESOURCES 

OP THE 

mt\txn Jielte antr Jfomb, 

MEDICAL, ECONOMICAL, AND AGEICULTURAL. 



Class I. EXOGENS ; OR, DICOTYLEDONOUS 

FLOWERING PLANTS. 

Sub-Class I. POLYPETAL^. 

NATURAL ORDERS. 

Eanunculace^. (Croio-Foot Tribe.) 

The plants belonging to this order are generally acrid, 
caustic, and poisonous. It contains some species, however, 
which are innocuous. The caustic principle is volatile, and 
neither acid nor alkaline. 

CRISPED CLEMATIS; BLUE JESSAMINE, {aematis 
crispa, Linn.) Not of Ell. Sk., which is the C. cyllndrica, T. 
and Gray. Grows in damp, rich soils, and in swamps in the 
low country of South Carolina; vicinit}- of Charleston, Dr. 
Bachman. Newborn, Croom. J^. C. Curtis. Fl. May. 

Mer. and de. L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 311; U. S. Disp. 1244; 
Shec. Flora Carol. 418. This plant is substituted for the C. 
erecta, mentioned by Storck, and is employed in secondary 
syphilis, ulcers, porrigo, etc.; given internally, with the pow- 
dered leaves applied to the sore. It acts also as a diaphoretic 
and diuretic. Merat says it possesses the properties of the C. 
vitalba, which is a dangerous vegetable caustic, used as a substi- 
tute for cantharides, and applied to rheumatic limbs, and in 
paralysis and gout. The decoction of the root is alterative and 
purgative ; and is also said to be valuable in Avashing sores and 
ulcers, in order to change the mode of their vitality, and to 



u 

make them cicatrize. Shecut remarks that "the Spanish or 
blistering flies are very fond of the Clematis crlspa, and it would 
be well for medical gentlemen in the country to propagate the 
plant about their residences, in order to secure a constant 
succession of these valuable insects." See Potato, " Convol- 
vulus." The American species are deserving of particular 
attention, and I would invite further investigation of them. 
The taste of the flower and seed vessel of the Clematis is 
exceedingly pungent, and the juice irritates the skin, as I have 
myself experienced. 

TRAVELLER'S-JOY; LEATHER FLOWER, {Clematis 
vlonia, L.) Grows in middle and upper districts of South 
Carolina. Elliott. N. C, Curtis. Fl. July. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 489 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 86 ; U. S. Disp. 
1244. This, and the following, have also a caustic property, 
and arc emploj^ed internally as diuretics and sudorifics in 
chronic rheumatism ; and externally, in the treatment of erup- 
tions, and as vesicants. Shecut says that a yellow^ dye may be 
extracted from both leaves and branches; the latter are sufti- 
ciently tough to make withs and fagots. The fibrous shoots 
may be converted into paper, and the wood is yellow, compact, 
and odoriferous, furnishing an excellent material for veneering. 

VIRGIN'S BOWER; TRAVELLER'S-JOY, (Clematis Vir- 
giniana, Linn.) Grows in rich soils; vicinity of Charleston. 
N. C. FL July. Wood and Bache, U. S. Disp. 1244 ; Griffith, 
Med. Bot. 80. See C. viorna. 

WOOD AISTEMONE, {Anemone 7iemorosa, L. Banunculus phrag- 
mltes.') Mountains of South Carolina. N. C, Fl. April. 

Bull. Plantes Ven. de France ; Linn. Veg. M. Med. 109 ; Fl. 
Scotica, 287 ; Chomel, Plantes Usuelles, ii, 376 ; Diet, des Sc. 
Med. Ixv, 194 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 292 ; U. S. 
Disp. 1228. It is said to be extremely acrid — even small doses 
prodvicing a great disturbance of the stomach ; employed as a 
rubefacient in fevers, gout, and rheumatism, and as a vesicatory 
in removing corns from the feet. It is reported to have proved 
a speedy cure for tinea capitis, and the flowers have been used 
in violent headaches ; Linnaeus says that the plant produces a 
discharge of urine, attended with dysentery, in cattle which 
feed on it. It contains a principle called anemonln. 



15 

Most of the species of Anemone, says Wilson, Eural Cyc, 
are acrimonious and detersive. " An infusiou of Anemone is 
said to remove woman's obstructions, and to increase her milk ; 
the bulbous roots when chewed are said to strengthen the gums 
and preserve the teeth ; a decoction of the roots is said to 
cleanse corrosive ulcers, and heal inflammation in the eyes; the 
flowers, boiled in oil, are said to have the property of thickening 
the hair, and Anemone ointment is said to be a good eye-salve, 
and a useful application to ulcers and external inflammations," 
all which I introduce for what it may be worth. No doubt the 
oil furnished by it imparts some property to the plant, and, like 
tannin in all the astringent plants, accounts for the slight 
medicinal effect which results from their use. An improved 
knowledge will, one day, determine the exact position in value 
of the whole vegetable kingdom, but for a while we must be 
contented with (he publication of much that is vague and 
uncertain. The unexpected discoveries of Ipecacuanha, Cin- 
chona, Yeratrum vii'ide, etc., warn us not to discard, upon a 
superficial examination, all those popularly considered as of 
trivial importance. 

T TVFRWO"RT J Hepatica triloba, Chaix. ) G-rows in light 
* I Anemone hepatica, Linn. J soils, upper dis- 
tricts, and in Georgia and North Carolina. Collected by Mr. 
Eavenel at the Eutaw battle-groimd, St. John's, Berkley; sent 
to me also from Abbeville district. 

U. S. Disp. 368; Raf Med. Fl. i, 238; Lind. Nat. Syst. 81. A 
tonic and astringent, supposed by some to possess deobstruent 
virtues. It has been used to a considerable extent in hemopty- 
sis and chronic cough ; but Wood says it has fiillen into neglect. 

OEANGE EOOT; YELLOW ROOT; TUEMERIC; IN- 
DIAN DYE; GOLDEN SEAL, {Hydrastis Canadensis, W.) 
GroAvs in rich soils, among the mountains of North and South 
Carolina and Georgia. Fl. May. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. 6 ; Bart. M. Bot. ii, 21 ; Yeg. Mat. Med. ii, 17 ; 
Eaf Med. Fl. i, 251; Griffith, Med. Bot. 82." It has a narcotic 
smell ; used in this country as a tonic. The I'oot was known to 
the Indians, from the brilliant yellow color which it yields. This 
appears to be permanent, and might be applied in the arts. 
Martin, in the Trans. Phil. Soc. 1783. in his Observations on the 



16 

Dyes used by the Aborigines, states, from his own experience, 
that it was found serviceable in coloring silks, wool and linen. 
With indigo, it yielded a rich green. Griffith mentions it as a 
powerful bitter tonic, much used in the West as a wash in chronic 
ophthalmia. In its fresh state, supposed to be narcotic. Tinc- 
ture, decoction, or powder employed. Dose of powder, thirty to 
sixty grains. Dr. Norcum, of Edenton, informs me that the in- 
fusion is used successfully in gonorrhoea. 

The American Chemical Institute and Tilden & Co., pre- 
pare from this plant two princijDles, one resinous, Hydras- 
tina, which is laxative and tonic, given in doses of one to 
five grains ; the other an alkaloid Hydrastine or Hydras- 
tina, the latter soluble in alcohol, water and ether, whilst the 
first is only sparingly soluble. Hydrastine is given in the same 
doses. In over dose it is said to produce almost identical effects 
with sulph. of quinine, viz : a sense of tightness, buzzing and 
ringing in the ears, reducing the pulse and producing sedation. 
In ordinaty doses it is tonic and astringent and it is claimed to 
have great power in intermittent fever. It is often prescribed 
with Podophyllin. This plant yields herherina abundantly, 
which Dr. Wood thinks should be examined for its antiperiodic 
properties — U. S. Disp. 12th ed., Am. J. Pharm., April 1861. 
Am. J. vSc. and Arts Jan. 1862 and July 1863. It is now placed in 
the primary list U. S. Disp. The following summary of the quali- 
ties of this plant is given by Dr. Wood : While all admit its tonic 
properties, it is considered by different practitioners as aperient, 
alterative in its influence on the mucous membranes, cholagogue, 
deobsti'uent in reference to the glands generally, diuretic, anti- 
septic, etc. It has been employed in dyspepsia and other affec- 
tions requiring tonic treatment, in jaundice and other functional 
disorders of the liver, as a laxative in constipation and piles, 
and as an alterative in various diseases of the mucous mem- 
branes, as catarrh, chronic enteritis, cystorrhoea, lucorrhoea, gon. 
orrhcea, etc., being used in the latter complaint internally and 
locally. By some it is used as one'of the best substitutes for 
quinia in intermittents. As an injection in gonorrhoea Dr. 
McCann, of Martinsburg, Ohio, made a decoction in the pro- 
portion of a drachm of the dried root to a pint of water, and in- 
jected a syringe full three times a day. The plant is used in the 
form of decoction, infusion tincture and extract. The Eclectics 



17 

give their hydrastin in doses of three to five grains. See also a 
vohime entitled "Positive Medical Agents, New York.' 

MAESH MARYGOLD; COLT FOOT; GROUND IVY, 
(Caltha palustris, L. Var. parnassifolia, T. & G.) Cedar Swamps, S. 
C, (Pursh) ; Chap. Flora. The flower buds are pickled for use as a 
substitute for capers. The juice of the fresh roots is acrid and 
caustic, but according, to Linnaeus, by drying, grinding and 
washing the roots, furnish a very palatable bread. A syrup 
prepared from this plant is a popular remedy for coughs. Dar- 
Hngton's Flora Cest. The Colt's Foot of the U. S. Disp. is Tussi- 
lago farfara. 

CELERY LEAYED CROW FOOT, {Ranunculus sceleratus, 
L. T. and Gray). Grows in bogs ; abundant around Charleston. 
New^bern, Croom. Fl. May. 

Bull. Plantes Ven. de France, 143 ; Dem. Elem de Bot. Light- 
foot's Fl. Scotica, 295 ; U. S. Disp. 584 ; Mer and de L. Diet, de 
M. Med. 620, and the Supplem. 1846, 620 ; Dioscorides, lib. vi, c. 
iv ; Orfila, Toxicol, Gen. ii, 90 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 65 ; Grif- 
fith, Med. Bot. 84. 

The juice possesses remax"kable caustic powers, raising a blis- 
ter if applied topically, and often in doses of two drops exciting 
fatal inflammation along the whole track of the alimentary canal. 
vSome, however, say that this property is not constant, as it is of 
a volatile nature, and is dissipated by heat. According to Merat, 
the Bedouins use it as a rubefacient, and it is applied in sciatica, 
forming a substitute for canthai'ides. Annal. Univ. de Med. 1843. 
It has been administered with success in asthma, icterus, dy- 
suria, rheumatism, pneumonia and fixed pains. When it acts as 
a vesicant, it has not the disadvantage of producing strangury. 
Bigelow says the volatile principle may be collected by distilla- 
tion and preserved in closely-stopped bottles. Tilebein relates 
that the distilled water is excessively acrid, and on cooling, de- 
posits crystals, which are almost insoluble in any menstruum. 
Precipitates are caused by muriate of tin and acetate of lead. 
The boiled root may be eaten. 

Ranunculus repens, Linn. ) Grows in shady woods, and among 

" nitidus, Ell. Sk. j the mountains. Fl. Aug. 

U. S. Dis. 584. This has also a rubefacient and epispastic 
operation. Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 65, Yery similar to the 
above in its mode of action. 
2 



18 

TALL LARKSPUE; {Delphinium exallatum, Ait.) Mts. of 
North Carolina and Northward. 

Dr. Wood says that the seeds have been used, for a similar 
purpose with those of the Larkspur — a tincture made by mace- 
rating an ounce of them in a pint of dilute alcohol, being used in 
doses of ten drops, gradually increased, in eases of spasmodic 
asthma and dropsy. U. S. Disp. 

LARKSPUE, N. C. ; {Delphinium consolida, L.) Becoming natu- 
ralized. The plant has astringent properties, the seeds are 
acrid, and its flowers yield a fine blue dye. 

My friend, Dr. Carmichael, of Fredericksburg, Ya., informs nie 
that the tincture of the plant is destructive to insects, and use- 
fully applied to the heads of children infested with them. It 
possesses an active principle called Delphinia. Am. J. Ph. v, i„ 
and xi, viii. W. Wick obtained aconitic acid from the expressed 
juice — Journ. de Pharm., Julliet, 1854, and U. S. D., 12th ed. 
In his Statistics of South Carolina, Mills says that from the ex- 
pressed juice of the petals with a little alum, a good blue may 
be obtained. 

BLACK SNAKEEOOT; COHOSH, (Cimicifuga racemosa, 
Torrey ; Actcea racemosa, L. & Willd). Grows throughout the 
Southern States. PI. July. 

Limiffius, Yeg. Mat. Med. 102 (see Actcea). The root is used 
in the debility of females attendant upon uterine disorder ; and, 
in its action, is thought to have a special affinity for this organ. 
It has also a decided effect upon some nervous affections, espe- 
cially chorea. See Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. vi, 20, and Dr. 
Young's notice of it in the Am. Journal Med. Sc. v, 310. "We 
have administered this medicine in chorea with complete suc- 
cess, after the failure of purgatives and metallic tonics ; and 
have also derived the happiest effects from it in cases of convul- 
sions recurring periodically, and connected with uterine disor- 
der." Wood, U. S. Disp. The powdered root is employed, a 
teaspoonful three times a day. It is a stimulating tonic, in- 
creasing the secretion of the skin, kidnej's and lungs. Merat, 
in the Diet, de Mat. Med., adds the authority of Dr. Kirkbride in 
support of the efficacy of this plant in chorea, who advises that 
a purgative be premised, when it may be given for several days, 
and then discontinued, to be resumed again ; frictions should at 
the same time be made upon the surface with the tincture. See 



the Supplem. 1846, to the Diet. de. M. Med. cit. sup. Dr. Hil- 
dreth has found this plant, in combination with iodine, very ad- 
vantageous in the early stages of phthisis. Am. Journal Med. 
Sc. Oct. 1842. The decoction is the most useful form ; one ounce 
of the bruised root is boiled in a pint of water, of which a half 
pint to one pint may be taken during the day. Dr. Physick 
also had known it to cure cases of chorea ; and Merat and de L., 
in the 1st vol. of op. cit. p. 67 (See Actcect), say that it partakes 
of the properties of A. hrachipetala. According to Chapman, it 
produces tree nausea, with abundant expectoration, succeeded 
by nervous trembling, vertigo, and a remarkable slowness of the 
pulse. Dr. Garden administered the tincture for phthisis. Lon- 
don Med. Journal, li, 245. Dr. N. S. Davis uniformly found it to 
lessen tke force and frequency of the pulse, to soothe pain and 
allay irritability. Trans. Am. Med. Assoc. 1, 352. Hildreth had 
also observed its influence on the circulation. Barton employed 
it as an astringent, which property it owes to the gallic acid it 
contains. He also gave it in putrid sore throat. In New Jer- 
sey, a decoction of the root is said to cure itch ; and in North 
Carolina, it is given as a drench for cattle, in the disease called 
murrain. Shec Flora Carol. 91 ; Carson's Illust. Med. Bot. i, p. 
9, 1847. See anal, in Am. Journal Pharm. vi, 20, 1843 and 
xxxiii, 396. According to Mr. Tilghman, it contains gum ; 
starch ; sugar ; resin ; wax ; tannin ; gallic acid ; salts of potassa ; 
lime ; magnesia j iron, etc. The ethereal extract contains most 
of its virtues. The Eclectics prepare from this plant a resin 
which they call cimicifugin, from a saturated tincture of the root 
precipitated by water — used in anomalous nervous disorders and 
puerperal hypochondriasis. Dose, a grain. See, also, Jones, in 
the Journal de Pharm. x, 670 ; and Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. 
vi, 14 ; Grriffith, Med. Bot. 92. He remarks that its greatest ef- 
ficacy has been exhibited in rheumatism, in the form of a tinc- 
ture ; the power of the root appearing to depend on the volatile 
oil and bitter resin, both of which are soluble in alcohol, and 
partially so in water. Dr. Tully, Mat. Med. p. 1358, uses it as 
an ecbolic to excite the uterine organs. He says : "It never 
narcotizes the child." Dr. D. A. Morse, of Ohio, in Med. Eep. 
recommends it as a nervous sedative of great value, and to pro- 
cure sleep after physical exertion. He often combines it with 
quinine. Bates in Journ. of Mat. Med,. 18G7, 



20 

BANEBEERY; WHITE COHOSIL; (Actcea alba, Big.; Actcea 
pachypoda, Ell.) Eocky Woods, Mts. of South Carolina ; North 
Carolina. 

Mr. F. Stearns in his accounts of the Medicinal plants of Mich- 
igan, speaks of the rhizoma of this plant as being- violently pur- 
gative. (Proc. of Am. Pharm. Assoc, 1858, j). 240). U. S. Disp. 
12th ed. 

YELLOW EOOT, {Zanthorrihza apiifolia. L'Her.) Upper, 
and mountainous districts. North Carolina; Fl. April. 

U. S. Disp. 745 ; Bart. Med. Bot. ii, 203 ; New York Med. Ee- 
pos. 291; Lind. Nat. Syst. 6; Griffith, Med. Bot. 95 ; Elliott's 
Bot., Med. note i, 376 ; Stokes, Med. Bot. ii, 194. 

The bark possesses pure bitter tonic properties, closely analo- 
gous to those of Colombo and quassia. Dr. P. C. Barton thinks 
it a more powerful bitter than the former of these. It was given 
by Dr. Woodhouse in doses of forty grains in dyspepsia ; a de- 
coction is also employed. The shrub contains a gum and resin, 
both of which are intensely bitter. Alchohol is the best men- 
struum. Its tinctorial powers were known to the Indians. It 
yields plentifully a coloring matter, a drab being imparted by it 
to wool, and rich yellow to silk; without a mordant it does not 
affect cotton or linen ; with Prussian blue it strikes a dull olive 
green color. It yields the alkaloid berberina. 

TWIN LEAF, (Jeffersonia diphylla. Pers.) Eich shady 
woods, Tennessee. 

The decoction of this plant is used by the vegetable practi- 
tioners and Indian doctors as a diui-etic in dropsy, and as an ex- 
ternal application to sores, ulcers, etc. 

To the above meagre outlines published in the first edition of 
this work, the 12th ed. U. S. Disj). contains the following addi- 
tional particulars. The plant has been analyzed by Mr. E. S. 
Wayne, of Cincinnati, and found to contain albumen, sugar, 
lignin, pectin, a fatty and a hard resin, and a peculiar acrid princi- 
ple resembling polygalic acid, in which it is supposed that the vir- 
tues of the root reside. The root is said to be emetic in large 
doses, tonic and expectorant in smaller, and not unlike seneka, 
as a substitute for which it is sometimes used. (Am. J. Pharm. 
XXYII). According to Prof Mayer, of New York, the rhizome 
of the plant contains a small quantity of berberina and another 



21 

alkaloid which is white, and in large proportion, as may be in- 
ferred, adds Dr. Wood, from the reactions noticed by Mr. Bentley, 
of London; the pectin of Mr. Wayne he considers to be saponin. 
Am. J. Pharm. March, 1863. 

WILD JALAP; MAY-APPLE; MANDEAKE; WILD 
LEMON; DUCK WEED, {Podophyllum ijeltatuvi. L.) Diffused in 
rich woods ; graws in Abbeville and Sumter districts ; collected 
in St. John's Berkley ; vicinity of Charleston, Bach. ; Newbern. 
I saw it at Porsmouth, Virginia. It should be distinguished from 
the "may-apple," or may-pop of our corn fields. (See Passi- 
flora). Fl. March. 

Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 749 ; Bell's Pract. Diet. ; Drayton's View S, 
C. 73 ; Royle Mat. Med. 573 ; Frost's Elems. 137 ; Eb. Mat. Med. 
i, 205 ; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. i, 514 ; U. S. Disp. 556 ; Big. 
Am. Med. Bot. ii, 34 ; Bart. Med. Bot. i, 9 ; Journal Phil. Coll. 
Pharm. iii, 873 ; Med. Eecord, iii, 332 ; Ball and Gar. Mat. Med. 
193; Zchoepf, M. M. 86; Mer. and de L. Diet, de Mat. Med. v. 
207 ; Chap. Mat. Med. and Therap. 209 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 478 ; 
Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 

Bigelow says it is a sure and active cathartic. " We hardly 
know any native plant that answers better the common purpose 
of jalap, aloes, and rhubarb." The Shakers prepare an extract, 
which is much esteemed as a mild cathartic. By the experi- 
ments of Dr. Burgon, in the Am. Med. Eecorder, it is useful in 
combination with calomel; ten grains of the latter with twenty 
of the podophyllum. In bilious affections it usually supersedes 
the necessity of an emetic previous to a cathartic ; and by this 
means two desirable effects are produced by one agent. Big. 
Appendix, iii, 187 ; GriflSth, Med. Bot. 116. It has been recom- 
mended in drojjsy, from the abundant evacuations which it pro- 
duces. According to Staples, it contains resin and starch ; and 
Dr. Hodgson has given the name podophylline to the peculiar 
substance it contains. See Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm.; Carson's 
lUust. of Med. Botany, pt. i. An officinal extract is prepared, 
given in doses of 5 to 15 grains. The leaves are purgative, and 
sometimes produce nausea in irritable stomachs ; the fruit is eat- 
able. It was employed by the Cherokees as an anthelmintic ; a 
few drops poured into the ear are said to restore the power of 
hearing. The plant has also been found to afford speedy relief 



22 

in incontinence of urine. Dr. McBride made great use of it dur- 
ing his practice in St. Jolin's Berkley, S. C; he said that it an- 
swers all the purposes of officinal jalap, " producing copious 
liquid discharges with no griping." The powered root is applied 
as a dressing for ulcers ; it is said to restrain excessive granula- 
tions, sprinkled over the surface. In a communication to me 
from Dr. Douglass, of Chester District, S. C, his correspondent, 
Mr. McKeown, considers the root too drastic as a purge ; he adds 
that the powdered root, mixed with equal parts of resin, acts as 
a powerful caustic, and is used by farriers for escharotic pur- 
poses. I have employed this plant among negroes as a substi- 
tute for jalap and the ordinary carthartics, and find that it an- 
swers every purpose, being easily prepared by the person having 
charge of them. Thirty grains of the root in substance were 
given, or an infusion of one ounce in a pint of water, of which a 
wineglassful three times a day is the dose; employing the Pop- 
lar bark, Liriodendron tidipifera, as a substitute for quinine dur- 
ing the stage of intermission of all mild cases of intermittent 
fever. I would invite the particular attention of planters to the 
extensive use of these medicines upon their plantations. I have 
caused them to be used on one on which upward of a hundred 
negroes resided, and I found that dui"ing a jjeriod of seven 
months, including the warm months of summer, they were used 
in all cases, and apparently fulfilled every indication. No detailed 
statement of these could be obtained, as it was administered by 
one of their own number; but large quantities of them were 
required. The plant, from the examinations of Mayer, Hodgson, 
Marsch, and Lewis, is shown to yield berberina and saponin. The 
resin podophyllm, is purgative in doses of two or three grains, 
and is largely emploj'ed by some practitioners. See also U. S. 
Disp.; Journ. Phil. Col. Pharm. 1863, July and iii. 273, Am. J. Ph. 
XIX. 165, and March, 1863. 

Dr. Josej)h Parrish (Practical Pharmacy, 2nd edition, page 
190), cites Podophyllin as the most popular and widely, known 
of the whole class of " eclectic concentrated medicines," and 
he furnishes the processes for its preparation by F. D. Mill 
& Co., of Cincinnati (see also. Am. J. Pharm. XXIII. 329); 
according to Dr. Parrish's experiment the roots yield 3| per cent, 
of Podophyllin. In small doses ^ to 1 grain, it is said to operate 
as an alternative and chologogue. It is claimed for this remedy 



23 

that it is a regulator of almost all the secretions, tending to re- 
store them to normal activity and that it is a complete substitute 
for mercury even to the extent in some cases of producing 
ptyalism. Its efficacy is greatly increased by trituration with 
four to ten times its weight of sugar of milk. Caulophyllin 
combined with it is said to materially lessen its painful and disa- 
greeable effects. A compound of Podophjdlin with ten parts of 
Leptandrin and ten parts of sugar, is much esteemed as an alter- 
ative in dyspepsia, hepatitis, etc.; see King's Eclectic Disp., Par- 
rish. Op. cit. The Extract and resin are often used with mercury 
and other cathartics. Dr. Wood says that in minute doses fre- 
quently repeated Podophyllum has been thought to diminish the 
frequency of the pulse and relieve cough, and for these effects 
has been given in hajmopysis, catarrhs and other pulmonary 
affections. Op. cit. The soft pulp contained within the rind of 
the fruit has a very peculiar musky taste, which is relished by 
many persons. The pulp is squeezed into a wineglass, and wath 
the addition of a little old Maderia and sugar, it is said to be 
equal to the golden granadilla of the tropics. Am. Farmer, vol. 
14 ; Farmer's Encyc. I have observed in the lower districts of 
South Caroliua, that the fruit generally drops before it becomes 
fully matured. I have never been able to find. any ripe seeds. 

PAPAVEEACE.E. {The Poppy Tribe?) 

Narcotic properties generally prevail thi'oughout this order. 
Seeds are universally oily — seldom narcotic. Europe is the 
principal seat of the papaveracese ; but several species included 
under it are found in North America, beyond the tropic. Most 
of them are annuals, the perennials being chiefly natives of 
mountainous tracts. 

OPIUM POPPY, (Papaver Somniferuni). Thaer, in his Prin- 
ciples of Agriculture, in speaking of the cultivation of the poppy 
as an oil-bearing plant, says : " The color of the flower is unim- 
portant. The seed is either white or black. Some persons think 
that the black-seeded variety is more productive, others give the 
preference to the white in this respect. The white seed is the 
more agreeable to the taste, as likewise the oil expressed from it. 
That variety of poppy is preferred whose heads or capsules when 
ripe assume a slightly bluish tinge. The structure of the cap- 
sules is of more consequence ; for there is a variety in which the 



24 

envelope of the capsule dehisces spontaneously when ripe, so 
that the seed is easily shed; and another, in which the seed re- 
mains enclosed within the capsules, which must be opened in 
order to extract it." " The poppy may become one of the most 
profitable crops, if we have the means of disposing of the seed, 
or if we knew how to extract the oil. By proper cultivation it 
may be made to produce from nine to ten bushels of seed per 
acre, and one bushel yields twenty-four pounds of good oil. This 
oil, especially the first portion, which is cold-pressed, and mixed 
in the mill with slices of apple, is doubtless the purest kind of 
oil for the table, and the most agreeable that is known. It is 
inferior to none, excepting the finest Nice or Lucca oil. It is 
preferable to the second-rate oil of those places, and the peculiar 
taste of olive oil may be imparted to it by the addition of a 
small quantity of that oil of superfine quality." Principles of 
Agriculture, 457. ■» 

The oil of the poppy is bland, and not narcotic. " It is used 
both for food and light, and is considered a fifth more valuable 
than that of the colza. The cakes remaining after the expres- 
sion of the oil are valuable for the fattening of swine ; and the 
stalks for fuel. The ashes which remain after burning it are of 
the best kind of manure. If the seed be pressed in a mill used 
for the colza, or other oil, the greatest attention must be paid 
to cleaning it. The oil expressed in cold weather is much supe 
rior in quality to that obtained in warm weather, and the two 
must not be mixed." " Henry Colman's European Agriculture," 
vol. ii, 538, Boston, 1849. See his " Eeport on Flemish Agricul- 
ture, for method of growing the Poj)j)y, Colza, Flax, Hemp, Hop, 
Mulberry, Beet, Olive, Grape," etc.; also " Thaer's Treatise on 
Agriculture." See Bene (^Sesamiim) for oils and their expres- 
sion. 

In Thornton's Family Herbal a very full and interesting 
account can be read of the cultivation of poppy in England, 
with the successful production of opium in considerable quan- 
tity. Forty pounds were made in one season by one person. 
Boys and girls were employed in incising the bulbs and gather- 
ing the gum. 

A variety of the "common" or "opium poppy" (P. somni- 
ferum), indigenous to the warm" and temjjerate parts of Europe 
and Asia, has been introduced, and a brief notice is contained 



25 

in Patent Office Report, 1855, p. xxi: "It has proved itself sus- 
ceptible of easy cultivation on very rich soils. It is well adapted 
to the climate of the Middle and Southern States. The flowers 
of the 'white poppy' (Papaver s. alba), the variety with which 
the experiment was made, may be either entirely white or red, 
or may be fringed with purple, rose or lilac, variegated and 
edged with the same colors, but never occur blue or yellow, nor 
mixed with these colors, each petal being generally marked at 
the bottom with a black or piirple spot. The seeds are black in 
the plants having purple flowers, and light-colored in those 
which are white ; although the seeds of the latter, when of 
spontaneous growth, are sometimes black. The largest heads 
which are employed for medical or domestic use, are obtained 
from th» single flowered kind, not only for the purpose of ex- 
tracting opium, but also on account of the bland, esculent oil 
that is expressed from the seeds, Avhich are simply emulsive, 
and contain none of the narcotic principle. For the latter pur- 
pose, if no other, its culture in this country is worthy of atten- 
tion. Certainly it is an object worthy of public encouragement, 
as the annual amount of opium imported into the United States 
is valued at upward of $407,000." If this was true some years 
since, how much more essential to us is its production now 
(1862), when gum opium and morphine are so very difficult to 
obtain. Mills, in his Statistics of South Carolina, states that 
opium was extracted from the poppy in South Carolina, and 
that seven grains were obtained from each plant. Occupied in 
researches upon these subjects during the month of June (1862), 
under the order of the Surgeon-General, I was enabled to col- 
lect, in a few days, more than an ounce of gum opium, appa- 
rently of very excellent quality, having all the smell and taste 
of opium (which I have administered to the sick), from speci- 
mens of the red poppy found growing in a garden near State- 
burgh, S. C. I have little doubt that all we require could be 
gathered by ladies and children within the Southern States, if 
only the slightest attention was paid to cultivating the plants in 
our gardens. It thrives well, and bears abundantly. It is not 
generally known that the gum which hardens after incising the 
capsules is then ready for use, and may be prescribed as gum 
opium, or laudanum and paregoric may be made fi'om it with 
alcohol or whiskey. 



26 

The popp3^, it is said, produces better when planted in the fall. 
"With my present experience (June, 1863), I would say that this 
was essential in the climate of South Carolina and Georgia. It 
should be planted early in Sej)tember ; the plants are not killed 
during the winter, they thrive in the early spring, and the cap- 
sules are ready for incision in May. I find that the vitality of the 
seeds are not destroyed by the manipulations to which the cap- 
sules are subjected. Several attempts by the writer to obtain the 
poppy by planting several acres successively in April and May 
failed, the seeds not getting up. From a " garden square " planted 
in October, 1862, I obtained in May, 1863, from two gatherings, 
5 drachms and 30 grains of gum opium, weighed after the mass 
had dried one month, of excellent quality judging by the 
smell and color. The experiment was hardl}^ a fair one, as the 
second recolte was delayed too long. Twice the amount might 
have been collected. The land should be rich and finely worked j 
the seeds were not sown lightly. 

Mr. Farmer, of Walterboro', S. C, reports through Surgeon 
Linning (June, 1863), that he also has succeeded in procuring 
enough for the use of his plantation. The writer has little 
doubt from the present beginnings that opium will become one 
of the ordinary stajDles of the country, as the plant thrives well 
as a volunteer. It should be remembered that poulty eat the 
young plants with avidity. 

I quote the following from paper cited above : 

The successful cultivation of the plant, however, requires the 
provision of good soil, ap2)ropriate manure, and careful manage- 
ment. The strength of the juice, according to Dr. Butler, of 
British India, depends much upon the quantity or moisture of 
the climate. A deficiency even of dew prevents the proper flow 
of the j)eculiar, narcotic, milky juice which abounds in every 
part of the plant, while an excess besides washing off this milk, 
causes additional mischief by separating the soluble from the 
insoluble parts of this drug. This not only deteriorates its 
quality, but increases the quantity of moisture, which must 
afterward be got rid of The history of the poppy, as well 
as that of opium — its inspissated juice — are but imperfectly 
known. The oldest notices of this plant are found in the works 
of the early Greek physicians, in which mention is also made of 
the juice ; but opium does not appear to have been so generally 



27 

employea as in modern times, as the notices respecting it would 
would have been numerous and clear. In the manufacture of 
opium in Persia or India, the juice is partially extracted, together 
with a considerable quantity of mucilage, by decoction. The 
liquor is strongly pressed out, suffered to settle, clarified with 
the white of eggs, and evaporated to a due consistence — yield- 
ing a fifth of the weight of the heads of extract, which possesses 
the virtues of opium in a very inferior degree, and is often em- 
ployed to adulterate the genuine opium. The heads of the 
poppies are gathered as they ripen ; and, as this happens at dif- 
ferent periods, there are usually three or four gatherings in a 
year. The milky juice of the poppy in its more perfect state, 
which is the case only in Avarm climates, is extracted by incis- 
ions matle in the capsules, and simj)ly evaporated into the con- 
sistence in which it is known to commerce, under the name of 
opium. 

In Turkey, the plants during their growth are carefully wa- 
tered, and manured if necessary ; the watering being more 
profuse as the period of flowering approaches, and until the 
heads are half grown, when the operation is discontinued, and 
tlie collection of the opium commences. At sunset longitudinal 
incisions are made upon each half-ripe capsule, not sufficiently 
deep to penetrate the internal cavity. The night dews favor 
the exudation of the juice, which is collected in the morning by 
scraping it from the wounds with a small iron scoop, and dejios- 
iting the whole in an earthen pot, where it is worked in the sun- 
shine with a wooden spatula, until it acquires a considerable 
degree of thickness. It is then formed into cakes by the hands, 
and placed in earthen pans to be further exsiccated, when it is 
covered with the leaves of the poppy, or some other plant. 

In obtaining gum opium, the capsules are cut longitudinally 
only through the skin, though some advise that it should be 
done from below upward. I find longitudinal incisions the most 
economical. This is generally done late in the afternoon, the 
hardened gum being scraped off early next morning. Boys or 
girls can easily attend to this. If the capsules are cut only on 
one side, the same operations may be repeated on the other side, 
and a fresh supply of opium obtained. A knife with three or four 
edges, cutting about the twelfth or fourteenth part of an inch, 
is sometimes used. If the incision is too deep the juice passes 
within the poppy head. 



28 

Prof. Alston, of Edinburgh, long ago, says Thornton, ascer- 
tained that ojDium of good quality could be obtained in Great 
Britain, " having all the color, consistence, taste, smell, faculties, 
phenomena," etc., of opium. It has been calculated by Mr. 
Ball that more than fifty pounds of opium may be collected 
from one statute acre. Mr. Jones, in 1794, in the County of 
Middlesex, England, presented twenty-five pounds of opium to 
the Society of Arts, made by himself, which was ascertained by 
chemical examination, to be equal to the imported drug. The 
reader interested in the culture of the poppy, can find in Thorn- 
ton's New Family Herbal, p. 516, a pretty full statement of the 
method of culture, the collection of the gum, etc., employed by 
Mr. Jones. In Love's report to the Society, he says : " Having 
a tap root, their size will, consequently, be proportioned to the 
depth of earth they are enabled to penetrate. Hence the ne- 
cessity of land that will admit of deep jjloughing. The fineness 
of the surface, too, is very essential. As the seed is small, and 
the plants on their first coming up so exceedingly tender, the 
bush harrow should alwa3\s be used after those which are com- 
monly employed." They should be so cultivated that the 
gatherer may not disturb the plants in collecting the juice. Mr. 
Jones is also in favor of autumnal sowing, planting in the month 
of September, by which means the plants attain suflicient size 
to endure the cold of winter; these were also found to produce 
more opium than those planted in March. The scarifications 
are described, Thornton's Herbal, 517, but any one can devise 
a knife for the purjiose. In the Proe. of Am. Ph. Assoc, 1866, 
a specimen of Virginia opium exhibited contained 4 per cent, of 
morphia and 3.5 per cent, (approximatelj^) of narcotina. 

Mr. John Commins, of Charleston, has endeavored (1867) to 
extract the gum more economically from the whole plant, leaves, 
stalks and capsules, but it has been found impracticable. Papa- 
ver dubium^ Corn poppy, introduced, grows in lower North Caro- 
lina, Curtis' Cat. 

DEVIL'S FIC; PEICKLY POPPY; MEXICAN POPPY; 
THOPtN APPLE; YELLOW THISTLE, {Arge?none Mexicana, 
Linn. J). C. Prodrom.) Charleston District, grows around 
buildings in rich spots ; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern, N. C. 
Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet. Univ. de M. Med. i, 395 ; Journal de 
Pharmacie xiv, 73 ; Bull. des. Sci. Med. de Mer. viii, 210 ; De 



29 

Cand. Essai, 116. The oil is said by some to be as active as 
that of the Croton tigliuni ; see the Supp. to Mer. and do L., 
1846-57, In Brazil, the leaves are employed as a cataplasm for 
driving off ulcers. The infusion is used in Mexico for its marked 
sudorific powers ; the juice is found serviceable in chronic mala- 
dies of the skin. In Java, they employ it in inveterate cuta- 
neous diseases, and as a caustic in chancres. Lind., in his Nat. 
Syst. Bot. 8, says that the seeds are narcotic, and are smoked 
with tobacco ; Gardener's Mag. vi, 315. It is administered in 
the West Indies as a substitute for ipecacuanha, and the juice 
of the plant is considered by the native doctors of India as a 
valuable remedy in ophthalmia, either dropped in the eye or 
nibbed on the tarsus ; it is also considered purgative and deob- 
struent. • Ainslie, M. Med. Ind, 243 ; Prince Maximil. Travels, 
214; Aublet, Hist. Guiane. Merat, in the Supplem., 1846, says 
that, in Brazil, in the Isle of France, and in India, the oil is 
regarded as a purgative, not unlike castor oil, but more active — 
not, however, being attended with griping ; thirty drops were 
found equivalent to the ounce of castor oil. They applied it in 
tinea capitis, and as an external application in headache occa- 
sioned by exposure to the rays of the sun. See Dr. Schort's 
examination of it. Dr. Muddie asserts that it induces anodyne 
effects ; so much so, as to relieve, in an instant, the pains of 
colic. Med. Bot. Soc. London, 1830 ; Griffith's Med. Bot., 129. 
The plant abounds in a viscid, milky, acid juice, Avhich, exposed 
to the air, becomes yellow, resembling gamboge. The flowers 
are said by DeCandolle, Essai, to be employed in Mexico as a 
hypnotic. A thorough examination of this plant might well 
repay the labor bestowed upon it. It is, apparently, native, 
says Chapman, in South Florida. " Its seeds are said to yield a 
narcotic substance as powerful as opium. A milky, glutinous 
juice flows from the whole plant ; turns by exposure to the air 
into a fine bright yellow; and when reduced to the consistence 
of a firm gum, is not distioguishable from gamboge, and has, we 
believe, been brought into the market under the name of that 
drug. It has similar properties to gamboge, both as a medicine 
and as a pigment ; and it has been administered in very small 
doses in cases of dropsy, jaundice, cutaneous eruption, and 
some other diseases." Wilson, Rural Cyc. 

I collected a large number of the seeds of this plant near 



30 

Charleston, and experimented with the oil and tincture, but 
with no definite results. A long paper on the medical proper- 
ties of the Mexican Poppy can be found in the Charleston Medi- 
cal Journal, among the extracts. I cannot, at present, cite the 
volume, but it was during the editorial management of Dr. Cain 
and myself. The tincture was particularly recommended for the 
relief of colic and pain. 

In the 12th Ed. TJ. S. Disp. M. Lepine is quoted as stating that 
the oil of the seeds has a cathartic property, and may be used in 
the arts (Journ. de Pharm. Julliet, 1861), and that according to 
Dr. W. Hamilton, that the seeds unite an anodyne and soporific 
with the cathartic property. In the hands of Dr. Afliecle, of 
Jamaica, they have proved useful given in emulsion in flatu- 
lent colic, in the dose of about 8 grains, repeated every half 
hour, till three doses were taken. The pain was relieved and 
the bowels opened. (Pharm. Journ. xii. 642.) 

PUCCOOK ; BLOODEOOT, (Scmguinaria Canadensis, Linn. 
Ell. Sk.) Diff'used; vicinity of Charleston ; Abbeville, Richland, 
and Fairfield Districts ; collected in St. John's, N. C, Fl. March. 

Drayton's View of S. C. 72 ; Bell's Pract. Diet. 404 ; Eberle, 
Mat. Med. 95 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. 8 ; U. S. Disp. 627 ; Eoyle, Mat. 
Med. 273; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 722; London Med. 
Chirurg. Trans, vol. i, Bart. M. Bot. i, 30; Ann. Lyceum Nat. 
Hist. New York, ii, 250 ; New York Med. and Phys. Journal, i. 
No. 2 ; Am. Journal Med. Sci. N. S. ii, 506 ; Journal Phil. Coll. 
Pharm. iii, 95 ; Ball and Gar. Mat. Med. 208 ; Big. Am. Med. 
Bot. i, 75; Schoepf, Mat. Med. 85 ; Barton's Collec. 28; Trans. 
Lond. Med. Soc. i, 179 ; Thacher's Disp. 331; Cutler, Mem. Am. 
Acad, i, 455; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 208; Bull, des 
Sci. Med. Fer. vi, 71 ; Edinb. Med. Journal, vii, 217 ; Shec. Flora 
Carol. 153 ; Carson's lUust. Med. Bot. i, 18, 1847. The root is 
narcotic, emetic and purgative in large doses ; stimulant, 
expectorant, and diaphoretic, tonic in small. Dr. Dana found a 
found a peculiar principle in it, called sanguinarina (Ann. Lyceum 
Nat. Hist. New York). According to the experiments of Dr. 
Donney, of Maryland, in his inaugural Thesis, twenty-grain 
doses of the root induced nausea and vomiting, attended with 
heat of stomach, acceleration of pulse, and sometimes slight 
headache ; the leaves are said to be endued with similar powers. 
" The seeds exert a marked influence on the nervous system, 



31 

occasioning torpor, languor, disordered vision, and dilatation of 
pupil." Dr. Bard, of New York, confirms this in his Inaugural 
Diss. It is an acrid narcotic, producing vomiting, and given in 
all diseases of the mucous membranes; employed in catarrh, 
typhoid pneumonia, croup, hooping-cough, and in ari-esting the 
progress of phthisis, and also in inflammatoiy rheumatism and 
jaundice. It was known to Schoepf ; and Merat states that it 
was serviceable in gonorrhoea. Dr. Israel Allen, of New York, 
says it acts with all the good effects of digitalis, in affections of 
the lungs — the infusion being preferred in these, as the tincture 
does not afford the active principle sufficiently strong; he adds, 
also, that it powerfully promotes diaphoresis in inflammatory 
rheumatism. Bigelow mentions it as an acrid narcotic, in small 
doses lessening the frequency of the pulse, somewhat analogous 
in its operation to that of digitalis — this, however, being its 
secondary effect. In still smaller doses, it is a stimulating tonic. 
The powdered root, snuffed up the nose, is powerfully sternuta- 
tory; it is applied as an escharotic to fungous flesh ; and several 
polypi, of the soft kind, were cured by it in the hands of Dr. 
Smith, of Hanover. Mill says in his Statistics of S. C, publish- 
ed in 1826 : " It is a deobstruent, and excellent in jaundice, old 
coughs, and bilious habits ; the root powdered and mixed with a 
small quantity of calomel, and used as a snuff, has cured the 
polypus in the nose." Dr. Shanks, of Tennessee, also destroyed 
a gelatinous polypus with sanguinaria, after extraction had 
twice failed. Am. Journal Med. Sci. Oct., 1842. The decoction 
has also been used as a wash to ill-conditioned ulcers. Dr. 
McBride employed this plant to some extent, in his practice in 
St. John's Berkley, S. C, in jaundice, in doses of two to six 
grains of the root. He did not trust to it exclusively, but found 
it most effectual in those cases characterized by torpor of the 
liver, attended with colic and yellowness of the skin. See his 
letter to Dr. Bigelow. He gave, too, with success, in hydrotho- 
rax, the tincture in doses of sixty drops, three times a day, 
increased until nausea followed its employment. Eberle, in his 
work on Diseases of Children, p. 97, says that the powdered 
root is an excellent escharotic in ulceration of the umbilicus. 
Griffith's Med. Bot. 127. It is observed by some that the seeds 
are more narcotic than the root, inducing sj-mptoms resembling 
those produced by stramonium. The dose of the powder as an 



32 

emetic, x-xx grs. ; as a stimulating expectorant, iii-v grs. ; or 
an infusion of one-half ounce of the root to one pint of water — 
dose, a tablespoonful ; of the tincture, it is one-half a drachm ; 
a larger quantity acts as an emetic. The tincture is made by 
adding two ounces of the bruised i-oot to one pint of alcohol. 
Macerate fourteen days. It is expectorant and alterative. Dr. 
Donney says the leaves are administered in veterinary practice 
in Maryland, to produce sweating, and to facilitate the shedding 
of hair in the Spring. Dr. Griffith is- convinced of its efficacy 
in this resj)ect, and he has also given the fresh root mixed with 
the food, at intervals, to destroy hots in horses — one or two 
roots proving sufficient. In a toramunication from Dr. Isaac 
Branch, of Abbeville District, S. C., he informs me that he has 
for many years employed the decoction of the root in croup ; 
he prefers it to any other single remedy ; and, by persisting in 
it till emesis is produced, he is of the opinion that it prevents 
the formation of the diphtheritic membrane. Fi-om his own 
experience, he considers it a specific in the early stages of the 
disease, preferring, for infants, the infusion to the tincture, as 
the difficulty of exciting vomiting frequently renders it necessary 
to give more of the alcohol than would be prudent. He finds it 
convenient, when called to a case of croup, to add to thirty 
grains of the powdered, or bruised root, a teacupful of boiling 
water, allowing it to steep for ten or fifteen minutes over the 
fire, when it may be given in teaspoonful doses, frequently re- 
peated, until vomiting is induced ; if the patient is relieved, 
continue it in doses short of the emetic point, every houror two, 
increasing it in frequency and amount should the symptoms 
require it. Dr. B. is of the opinion that it owes its value to 
three qualities combined: an acrid, an emetic and a deobstruent 
property — the latter acting on the glandular system. It 
possesses, also, the peculiar advantage of not producing bad 
effects by accumulation ; a teacupful not debilitating any more 
than a smaller quantity, and neither inducing prostration, 
which, in the disease in question, is an important consideration. 
If the patient's skin is hot and dry, the addition of a few grains 
of ipecacuanha is advised. The experience of Dr. Branch cor- 
roborates that of others respecting the value of the tincture, in 
doses of ten to fifteen drops, given three or four times a day, as 
an expectorant in chronic cough. In emetic doses, it proves a 



38. 

useful promoter of expectoration in pneumonia. The decoction 
of the root, taken in small doses, may be u^ed wherev^er a 
nauseant and expectorant is required, and will aid in prevent- 
ing the advance of colds, croup, pneumonia, etc. The juice of 
the root was used by the Indians as a red pigment, and it has 
been applied to the arts. Dr. Douney says that the sulph. of 
alumina will partially fix the color in woolen stuffs, and the 
murio. sulph. of lead in cotton and linen. The stain, applied to 
the unbroken skin, is not indelible. Lawson, in his account of 
Carolina, says, that the Puccoon is Batschia canescens {Jjithos- 
permum canescens), growing in upper districts. See Pursh's 
Flora and Groom's Catalogue. 

The above was contained in my report on Med. Botany of 
S. C, published in 1849. Since that period, I have used the 
Tincture of Sanguinaria largely during five years attendance 
upon the Marine Hospital, and in private practice. I employ 
no vegetable substance so constantly, as an addition to cough 
mixtures, and as an alterative and tonic, when I think the 
functions of the liver not sufficiently active. We must avoid 
adding too much of the tincture to any mixture, lest it convert 
it into a nauseant or emetic. I can only say that it has proved 
a highly satisfactory agent in my hands as a tonic, alterative, 
and expectorant. (See Boneset, (Eupatorium perfol. latum'), 
for combinations of that and Sanguinaria in pneumonias and 
Formulae at the end of this vohtme.) 

Dr. J. B. Ancrum, of Charleston, informed me in 1867, that 
he had repeatedl}^ found benefit from the local application of 
the powdered root to scrofulous ulcers, administering it also 
internally in doses of a few grains several times a day. From 
a suggestion made to him by a soldier dui'ing the late war he 
used it internally with much satisfaction in scurvy, and the 
powdered root was used in making a gargle, and was also 
given internally. 

I have repeatedly employed the tincture with advantage in 
Jaundice, giving an occasional mercurial at night; thus avoiding 
the prostration which is so marked a feature of this disease as 
is often the case when managed exclusively by mercury. 

In the 12th ed. of the U. S. Disp. 1866, Dr. Mothershead 
paper (from Wood's Quarterl}^ Eetrosp. 280) is quoted, where he 



34 

speaks in the strongest terms of its efficacy as an excitant to 
the liver given in alterative doses. 

Prof. Wood says in reference to Sanguinaria : The late Dr. 
Wm. Tully found it in large doses to produce vertigo, dilatation 
of the pupil, a haggard expression of the face, nausea, dimin- 
ished frequency and irregularity of the pulse. Prof. E. P. 
Thomas, of Philadelphia, who experimented with it on himself 
and others, in medicinal doses, using both the alkaloid and its 
salts, gave the following statement of its powers : In doses 
varying "from one-twelfth to one-eighth of a grain it acted as 
an expectorant without disturbing the stomach. One-sixth or 
one-fourth of a grain given every two or three hours generally 
produced nausea and sometimes vomiting. Half a grain in 
solution, given at intervals of ten minutes, almost invariably 
vomited after the second or third dose. Under the influence of 
one-eighth or one-sixth of a grain given every three or four 
hours, for two days or more, the pulse was generally reduced 
from five to fifteen beats in the minute. He found no alterative 
effect, and none of any kind directly upon the liver (Proc. of 
A. M. Med. Assoc, 1863) U. S. Disp. 

A fluid extract is prepared, of which the dose as an emetic is 
from ten to twenty minims. 

FUMITOEY, (Fimaria officinalis, Linn. Hook. FI. Bo.) Natu- 
ral, says Elliott, on John's Island, and at Mr. MiddleLon's on 
Ashley Eiver. Not in Curtis' Cat. 

This plant received great attention in former times, and was 
almost universally employed. Pliny speaks of it, lib. 25, c. 13. 
According to Hoffman and Boerhaave, the juice taken in large 
doses is diuretic and laxative. Great confidence was placed in 
its virtues by Cullen. Mat. Med. ii, 77. In the Dem. Elem. de 
Bot., it is refei'red to as a diuretic and detersive aperient, 
employed as a purifier of the blood in scrofulous and cutaneous 
diseases. It was administered in amenorrhoea, loss of appetite, 
and hj'pochondriacal affections ; Fl. Scotica, 379. Boerhaave 
frequently prescribed it in jaundice and bilious colics. Thorn- 
ton, in his Fam. Herb. 628, asserts that he had experienced its 
value in cutaneous diseases. Its acrimonious property is vola- 
tile ; hence, it should be given in whey. Mer. and de L. Diet. 



35 

do M. Med. iii, 310 ; Fl. Med. iv, 153. "A marked bitter, which 
increases on being dried." A popular depurative remedy, 
which augments the action of the organs, and therefore useful 
in the diseases specified. Merat says, it was very generally 
allowed to be a specific in elephantiasis, acting without any 
evacuation or appreciable effect. Barbier, M. Med. 381 ; U. S. 
Disp. 1254. An extract of the expressed juice, or a decoction, 
throws out upon its surface a copious saline efflorescence. "The 
plant indeed abounds in saline substances." Griflath, Med. Bot. 
118. It is still employed in France ; given in the form of 
decoction, extract, syrup, or expressed juice. 

In observing the enormous amount of potash said by Ure to 
exist io^the ashes of this plant (fourth London edition, 1853), I 
can now well understand some of the statements made above, 
which I had published several years since in my report to the 
American Medical Association. It is another evidence of the 
light thrown upon any subject by facts gathered from different 
sources and by independent inquirers. See article "Potash." 
Wormwood, artemisia, tobacco, corn and rice stalks, etc., contain 
potash in large proportion. The two first mentioned in enor- 
mous amount relatively. 

NELUMBIACE^. {Nelumbo Tribe.) 
WATEK CINQUEPIN ; POND-NUTS, (Nelumbium luteum, 
W.) Fla. and northward, not common ; Chap. N. C. The 
fruit is a nut, the size of a cinquepin, of a sweetish flavor, and 
edible. It grows abundantly in the Santee canal. 

NYMPHS ACE^. {The Water Lily Tribe.) 
This order is generally considered anaphrodisiac, sedative, 
and narcotic. Their stems are bitter and astringent ; they 
contain a considerable quanty of fecula, and, after repeated 
washings, are capable of being used for food. 

SWEET-SCENTED WATEE-LILT; POND-LILY, (Nym- 

phcca odorata, Ait. Kew. and Ph.) Diffused in lower country of 
South Carolina ; N. C. Eoots immersed. Newborn. Fl. April. 
XJ. S. Disp. 1280; Mat. Yeg. Pract. 201; Thompson's Steam 
Pract.; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 132 ; Cutler, Am. Trans, i, 456. "An 
anaphrodisiac." The root possesses a high degree of astrin- 
gency, containing, according to Dr. Bigelow, tannin and gallic 



.36 

acid. It is a popular remedy in bowel complaints ; and is used 
as an astringent in gleet, fluor albus, etc. It also forms an 
excellent demulcent poultice for ulcers. Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. iv, 643 ; Bull. des. Sci. Med. iii, 74. Ainslie, in bis 
Mat. Med. Ind. ii, 381, says that, in India, they prepare with it 
a refreshing liniment for the head. Thompson employed this 
plant in the steam practice, and Matson recommends it as a 
gargle in sore throats, 

CEPHALOTACE^. 

We insert this order, the properties of which are unknown, 
merely to introduce the non-medicinal, but very remarkable 
plant, the 

VENUS FLY-TKAP, (Dioncea muscipula, Ellis, L.) General 
C. C. Pinckney informed Mr. Elliott of the only locality of this 
interesting plant in South Carolina, viz.: on the margin of the 
Santee Eiver, between Lynch's Ferry and the sea, particularly 
at Collins' and Bowman's bridges. Newbern. Fl. May. Its 
leaves possess great sensibility, and are prehensile: closing up 
and confining insects and any foreign body which comes in 
contact with it. See Curtis, in Bost. Journal Nat. Hist, i, p. 
123, the article " Sarracenia " infra, and authors. "Mir- 
aculum naturfe ! folia triloba, radicalia, ciliata, sensibilia, 
conduplicanda, insecta incarceranda. Ellis, Epist. ad Linnoium. 
Croom's Cat. 

MAGNOLIACEiE. {The Magnolia Tribe.) 
This order is characterized by the possession of a bitter tonic 
taste, and fragrant flowers ; the latter generally producing a 
decided action upon the nerves. 

BAY; BEAYER TREE; SWAMP-LAUREL, {Magnolia 
glauca, L.) Diffused in damp pine lands. Charleston ; New- 
bern. N. C. Fl. June. 

Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 67 ; Bart, i, 77 ; U. S. Disp. 442 ; Pe. 
Mat. Med. ii, 733 ; Royle, Mat. Med. 248 ; Ball and Gar. 189 ; 
Michaux, N. Am. Sylvia, ii, 8; Kalm's Travels, i, 205; Hum- 
phries, Med. Comment, xviii ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
iv, 193; Marshall's Arbust. 83; Bart. Mat. Med. 46; Price, 
luaug. Diss. Phil. 1812 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. 18 ; Am. Herbal, 200 ; 



37 

Griffith, Med. Bot, 97. It is a stimulant, aromatic tonic, with 
considerable diaphoretic powers. The leaves, steeped in brandy, 
or a decoction of them, are valuable in pectoral affections, 
recent cold, etc. The tincture, made by macerating the fresh 
cones and seeds, or bark of root, in brandy, which best extracts 
its virtues, is much used as a popular remedy in rheumatism, 
and in intermittent fevers ; and, according to Barton, in inflam- 
matory gout. Lindley refers to it as a valuable tonic, but it is 
said to be destitute of tannin or gallic acid. The bark of the 
root, according to Griffith, was employed by the Indians to 
fulfil a variety of indications; the warm decoction acts as a 
gentle laxative, and subsequently as a sudorific, whilst the cold 
decoction, powder of, or tincture, is tonic. These have proved 
very beneficial in the hands of regular practitioners in the 
treatment of remittents of a typhoid character. It is supposed 
by many residing in the lower portions of South Carolina that 
this tree prevents the water of bogs and galls from generating 
malaria. It certainly seems that the water is much clearer in 
which the bay tree grows.* It is stated in a Journal, 1863, 
that Mr. Kerr, of Wilmington, N. C, has made good writing 
ink by boiling in water the bark of the bay or dwarf magnolia. 
Pillars for staircases of the color of mahogany are made of the 
red bay, an excellent material for inner work of houses, furni- 
ture, etc., as I have seen at Col. Singleton's, Clarendon, S. C. 
Its grain is so fine and bears so good a polish, says Mills in his 
Statistics of South Carolina, that it is used for catinet purposes. 
It also dies a beautiful black color. 

*In that old work on Herbs, entitled the " English Physician," by Nicho- 
las Culpepper, gentleman, " Student in Physic and Astrology," I have met 
with a great deal concerning the employment of herbs in medicine ; but, 
from the absence of Botanical terms, it is impossible to ascertain, in many 
cases, what species are intended. In order to show the surprisingly super- 
stitious credence then attached to the influence of Astrology, in determining 
the virtues of, and the times proper for gathering plants, and also the 
diversity of qualities attributed to them, I will extract a portion of what 
Culpepper says of the " Bay Tree :" " Government and Virtues. — That it is 
a Tree of the Sun, and under the celestial Sign Leo, and resisteth Witch- 
craft very potently, as also all the evils old Saturn can do to the body of 
man, and they are not a few ; for it is the speech of one, and I am mistaken 
if it were not Mezaldus, that neither Witch nor Devil, Thunder nor Light- 
ning, will hurt a man in the place where a Bay Tree is. Galen said that 
the leaves or bark do dry and heal very much, and the berries more than 
the leaves ; the bark of the root is less sharp and hot, but more bitter, and 
hath some Astrictsion withal, whereby it is efl'ectual to break the stone, and 
good to open the obstructions of the liver, spleen, and other inward parts, 



MAGNOLIA, (Magnolia grandijlora, L.) This mafijiiificcnt 
troc g-rows {ibiuuhuitly along the scu-coast, and in the streets of 
Charleston. Found sparingly in St. John's Berkley, tbrty-fivo 
miles from the ocean ; grows in Georgia, also, in North Carolina. 
Fl. May. 

Mer. and de L. Diet. dc. M. Med., iv; 193 ; Pe. Mat. Med. and 
Therap. ii, 734 ; U. S. Disp. 444. The medicinal and chemical 
properties of these plants are supposed to be identical. See M. 
glauca. Mr. Proctor, in his analysis, Am. Journal Pharm. xiv. 
95, and viii, 85, found iii this species volatile oil, resin, and a 
crystallizablo principle analogous to the liriodendrine of Prof. 
Emmett, obtained from the L.tuUpifera gYO\\mg\\i the Southern 
States (vide L. tulip.) Merat says that in Mexico the seeds are 
employed with success in paralj^sis. l/oc. cit. sup. 

CUCUMBER TREE, {Magnolia acuminata, Linn. Mich.) 
Mountainous districts ; grows in Georgia, also, in North Caro- 
lina. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 443 ; Mx. N. Am. Sylvia, ii, 12 ; Lind. Nat. Syst 
16. Lindley speaks particularly of the cones of this species 
being employed in the form of a spirituous tincture in rheumatic 
affections. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 193 ; GrifKth, 
Med. Bot. 98. Used as a prophylactic in autumnal fevers. 

which bring the Dropsy, Jaundice, etc. The Berries are very effectual 
against all poison of venomous creatures, and the sting of Wasps and Bees, 
as also against tho pcstiK-iui', and other inlVotious diseases, and tlioroforo 
put into sundry Treacles for tlie purpose. They, likewise, procure women's 
courses, and seven of tliem given to a woman in Sore Travel of child- 
birth do cause a speedy delivery, and expel the after-birth, and therefore 
are not to be ttikcn by such as have not gone their time, lest they procure 
abortion, or cause labour too soon. They wonderfully help all cold and 
rheumatic distillations from the Brain to the Eyes, Lungs, or other parts, 
and being made into an Electuary with Honey, do help the Consumption, 
Old Coughs, Shortness of Breath, and thin Bheums, as also the Megrim. 
They mightily expel the wind, and provoke urines, help the mother, and 
kill' the worms. The Leaves also work the like effects; a bath of the de- 
coction of the Leaves and Berries is singularly good for women to sit in 
that are troubled with the mother, or the diseases thereof, or the stopping 
of their courses, or for the diseases of the bladder, pains in the bowels by 
wind, and stopping of urine; a decoction, etc., settleth the palate of the 
mouth in its place. The Oil made of the Berries is very comfortable. All 
Cold, Griefs of tho Joints, Nerves, Arteries, Stomach, Belly, or AVomb, 
and helpeth Palsies, Convulsions, Cramps, Aches, Tremblings, and Numb- 
ness in any part, weariness also, and pains that come by sore travelling. 
* * * x- Pains in the Ears are also cured by dropping in some of the 
Oil, or by receiving into the Ears the fume of the decoction of the Berries 
through a funnel. It takes away the marks of Bruises ; it helpeth also the 
Itch, Scabs, and Weals in the Skin," etc. 



Tho wood irt BoA, fino fi;riiiiiod, and miKooptihlo of jt brilliant 
])()lirth. It in Honiotinios Hawed into l)oardH, and used in the in- 
terior of wooden houses. 

The flowers of most nia<^noIias exluilo a 8tron<^ aromatic 
fragran(!o; the l)ark of all possesses a coinltination of l)itter and 
hotly aromatic properties, without astringency, and that of 
many acts as a powerful medicine, in a similar way to Peruvian 
l)ark and Winter's l)ark. Wilson's Rural C^c. 

UMBRELLA TllKK, \ ^mo^^f^ umbrdia, Lam. 

{Miujnoha tripdala, Linn, and Kll. Sk. 

l»are, (ii-ows on the seacoast in rich soils; Newborn, N. C. 

Fl. June. 

U. 8. Disp. 443. It has a warm, aromatic odor, and is 

possessed of similar properties with the above. Mx. N. Am. 

Sylvia, ii, 19; Jjind. Nat. Syst. 16. According to T)e Cand. and 

Merat, Diet, do M. Med. iv, 193, it acts so powerlully on the 

nerves as to induce sickness and headache. 

LON(; LEAVED MAGNOLIA, {ATngnolia rnacrophylla. 
Mx. and Ell. 8k.) Crows on the mountains of South Carolina 
and North Carolina. It possesses tho most magnificent foliage 
and flowers of any of our forest trees ; the former are a foot or 
two in length ; and the latter one foot in diameter. For its 
medicinal properties, see M. glauca. See, also, Griffith's Med. 
Bot. 98, and Ell. 8k, of Bot. of S. C. 

ANISE SKED TREE, {UUdam Floridanum and parvifiorum). 
Th(!se plants have tho smell of anise seed, and should bo ex- 
amined. Griffith says tho bark may bo used as a substitute for 
cascarilla. 

TULIP TREB; WHITE WOOD; POPLAR, {Liriodendron 
tulipifera, L.) Grows in swami)s; diffused. Collected in St. 
John's, Charleston district ; Columbia; Newborn, North Caro- 
lina. Kl. June. 

Eberle, Mat. Med. ii, 308; U. 8. Disp. 432; Rush, in Trans. 
Phil. Coll. Phy. 1798 ; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 743 ; younger Michaux 
on Forest Trees of North America; Clayton, Phil. Trans. 8 ; 
Carey's Am. Museum, 12; Barton's CoUec. Form. Mat. Med. 14; 
Thachor's U. 8. Disp.; Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 107; Barton, i, 
92; Ball. Gar. Mat. Med. 190; Mer. and de L. Diet, do M. Med. 
iv, 130; Annal.de Chimie, Ixxx, 215; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot.; 



40 

Eogers' Inaug. Diss. 1802. This plant is tonic, diuretic and 
diaphoretic, and is generally considered one of the most valua- 
ble of the substitutes for Peruvian bark. It has been employ- 
ed as a warm sudorific in the treatment of chronic rheumatism 
and gout ; and Bigelow thinks it valuable as a stomachic. It 
was administered by Dr. Young and himself, combined with 
laudanum, in hysteria, and the former says that in all the mate- 
ria medica be does not know of a more certain, speedy, and 
effectual remedy for that disease. See his letter to Governor 
Clayton. " He has never known it to fail in a single case of 
worms." Am. Museum, xii ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 98. Eafinesque 
says the seeds are laxative, and the leaves are used as an exter- 
nal application for headache ; they are washed and applied to 
the forehead. Merat states that it is useful in phthisis, and he 
also refers to its vermifuge properties ; employed in relaxed 
states of the stomach (reldchemens) and in the advanced stages 
of dysentery ; this is corroborated by Thacher. Anc. Journal de 
Med. Ixx, 530 ; J. C. Mayer, Mem. on L. tulipifera, in the Mem 
de I'Acad. de Berlin, 1796 ; Euch. Mem. sur le tulipier, Tilloch's 
Magazine; Hildebrande, Essai sur un nouveau succedane du 
quinquina in Ann. de Chim. Ixvi, 201 ; Carminati sur les pro- 
prietes medicinales de I'ecorce de tulipier. Its analysis, etc., in 
the Mem. of Eoy. Inst. Lombardy, iii, 4; in the Supplcm. to 
Mer. Diet. 1846, 436. M. Bouchardat advises, as the most pre- 
ferable mode of exhibiting it in fevers, the wine made with the 
bark in equal parts of alcohol, to which he adds of white wine 
seven or eight times the amount of the alcoholit; infusion. Bull, 
de Therap. xix, 246 ; S. Cubicre's Hist. Tulip. Paris, 1800 ; see 
Tract, of Bouchardat in Ann. de Therap. 75, 1841. 

Dr. J. P.Emmet, in his Analysis in the Phil. J. Pharm. iii, 5, 
announced the discovery of a new principle in it — liriodendrine. 
This is solid, brittle and inodorous at 40°, fusible at 180°, and 
volatile at 270° It is soluble in alcohol, thought to be analo- 
gous to camphor, and to the principle found in the Magnolia 
grandifiora, and to consist of a resin and a volatile oil; hence the 
alcoholic tincture is preferable. The powdered bai-k in syrup 
is given to children who are liable to convulsions from worms, 
to pi'omote their expulsion, and to strengthen the tone of the 
digestive organs. The bark should be pulverized and bottled. 
I have employed a strong infusion of the bark and root of this 



41 

plant as an anti-intermittent, among a number of negroes, and 
am much pleased with its efficacy. See the wild Jalap {Po- 
dophyllum peltatiwi,) in conjunction with which it was usually 
given. In Virginia, the decoction of the bark, with that of the 
Cornus Florida (dogwood) and the Pmios verticillatus, is given 
to horses aifected with the hots. The poplar bai-k powdered is 
a valuable remedy as a tonic for hoi'ses. An infusion may be 
given to a horse, or the bark placed in his trough to be chewed. 
It gives tone to the digestive organs when they are "off their 
feed," in veterinary or jockey parlance. This tree I notice in 
unusual abundance along the line of railroad from Kingville to 
Columbia, S. C; also in Spartanburg district, S. C, on the banks 
of streams. Dose of bark xx-xxx grs. It is a stimulant tonic, 
slightly , diaphoretic. The infusion or decoction is made in the 
proportion of an ounce to a pint of water; dose one or two fluid 
ounces. Dose of the saturated tincture a fluid drachm. The 
wood is durable when not exposed to the weather — it is light, 
smooth, fine grained, and flexible; employed for various me- 
chanical purposes — for carving and ornamental work ; for 
making carriage and door panels, chairs, cabinets, etc. See 
also Mx. Forest Trees of America. 

ANONACE.^. (The Papaw Tribe.) 

The plants of this order generally possess a powerful aromatic 
taste and smell in all the parts. 

") Uvaria triloba, T. and G-ray. 
PAPAW; CUSTAED APPLE, VAnona triloba, Jjmxx. 

3 Asimina triloba, Ell. Sk. 

Grows in rich soils along streams. I have observed it in Fair- 
field and Spartanburg districts, South Carolina, and collected it 
in St. John's ; Mr. Elliott says it is found at Beck's ferry, Sa- 
vannah river, and North Carolina. Fl. May. 

Diet, de Mat. Med par Mer and de L. tom. i, 311. The rind 
of the fruit of the A. triloba of Linn, possesses a very active 
acid; pulp sometimes employed as a topical application in ul- 
cers. Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 69. "Juice of unripe fruit is a pow- 
erful and efiicient vermifuge; the powder of the seeds answers 
the same purpose ; a principal constituent of the juice is fib- 
rin — a product supposed peculiar to animal substances and to 
fungi." " The tree has, moreover, the property of rendering the 



42 

toughest animal substances tender by causing a separation of 
the muscular fibre — its very vapor even does this ; newly killed 
meat suspended over the leaves, and even old hogs and poultry, 
when fed on the leaves and fruit, become ' tender in a few 
hours!' " Lind. loc. cit. The sap of the Papaw tree, {Carica •pa- 
paya), which is extracted from the fruit by incision, is white 
and excessively viscous. In a specimen from the Isle of France, 
Yauquelin found a matter having the chemical properties of ani- 
mal albumen, and lastly, fatty matter. Boussingault. This 
tree can be found in manj" parts of the South and I would in- 
vite examination into these very curious properties. For an 
excellent description of the Papaw, see Hooker in the Bot. 
Magazine, 808. At Pittsburgh, a spirituous liquor has been 
made fi-oni the fruit. Michaux notices that the celluhir integu- 
ment of the bark, and particularly that of the roots, exhales in 
summer a nauseous odor so strong as to occasion sickness if re- 
spired in confined air. Am. Sylva. 

UMBELLIFEE.E. {The Umbelliferous Tribe.) 

This order is nearly related to the Eanunculace{\>, and is gene- 
rally found in cold countries, and on the mountains of tropical 
regions. The plants belonging to it are often poisonous, some 
virulently so ; others are nutritive and wholesome ; of the for- 
mer, the hemlock is an example ; of the latter, the celery and 
parsley. 

PENNY WOET ; WATEE GEASS, {Hydrocotyle umbelldta, 
L.) Grows in bogs and wet marshes ; collected in St. John's ; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern, N. C Fl. May. 

Mer and de L. Diet. deM. Med. tom. iii, 560. Employed with 
great efficacy in Brazil against hypochoudriacism. According 
to one author, the root is so valuable in diseases of the kidney 
as not to be replaced by any other medicines. It is emetic, 
diuretic and vulnerary. I see no mention of it in the English 
or American works. 

SANICLE ; BLACK SNAKEEOOT, (Sanicula MaryJandica, 
L.) Diftused, grows in shady spots ; collected in St. John's ; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern, N. C. Fl. July. 

Mer. and de h. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 201. The Indians used it 
as we do sarsaparilla in syphilis, and also in diseases of the 
lunjis. 



43 

In the 12th Ed. U. S. Disp. 1866, the author states that the 
root has an aromatic taste, and has been used as a domestic 
remedy in intermittent fever, and that Dr. J. B. Zabriskie has 
found it highly effectual in chorea. He considers it most 
efficient in substance, and he gives the powder to children of 
eight or ten years old, in the dose of half a drachm three times 
a day. Am. J. Med. S. C. ; N. S. xii, 374. 

BUTTON SNAKEROOT, {Eryngium aquaticnm, L. K 
Yuccoefolium of Mx.) Damp pine lands ; diffused ; collected in 
St. John's ; Charleston ; N. C. Fl. July. 

Coxe, Am. Disp. 268; Ell. Bot. i, 343; Barton's Collec. i, 3; 
Frost's Elems. 280; U. S. Disp. 318 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. 
Med. iii, 145 ; Shec. Flora Carol, art. Button snakeroot, 310, 545. 
The decoction is diaphoretic, expectorant, and sometimes emetic. 
Elliott says it is preferred by some physicians to the seneka 
snakeroot. Barton, in his Collections, states that it is allied to 
the contrayerva of the shops. This plant is possessed of un- 
doubted diuretic powers, and in combination with the 7m 
versicolor (blue flag), was much employed by Dr. McBride, of 
South Carolina, in dropsy. (See I, versic.) Great use is fre- 
quently made of them in popular practice. Shecut in his Flora 
Carol. 310, states that the decoction and tincture are given with 
benefit in pleurisies, colds, and most of the inflammator}'- 
diseases of the mucous passages. It is also said to act as an 
escharotic — keeping down fungus flesh, and preventing mortifi- 
cation. The root, when chewed, sensibly excites a flow of 
saliva. The £J. aromaticum, au aromatic species, grows in East 
and South Florida; Baldwin in Chapman's Flora. The E. 
maratimum, of England, penetrates the soil to the depth of 
twenty feet. 

FEVER WEED, {Eryngium foetidum, L.) Elliott is doubtful 
whether this plant comes within the limits prescribed to us; it 
has, however, been noticed by writers as a S. C. species, and 
Michaux found it in Florida. T. and Gray are of the opinion 
that it is not a native of the United States. Vicinity of 
Charleston, Bachman ; not in Curtis' Cat. Shec. Flora Carol. 
54. ''An admirable febrifuge." Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. 
Med. iii, 145 ; Aublet, i, 284. Rotboll says it is a sedative, 
alterative, and febrifuge. Sprengel, Hist. de. la Med. v, 467; 
Lind. Species, PL 336. Not included in Chapman's Flora. 



44 

ACONITE; MONKS-HOOD; WOLFSBANE; {Aconitum 
uncinatum, L.) Shady banks of streams among the mountains 
of the Southern States, and northward ; also, Aconitum reclina- 
tum, Gray. Mountains of N. C. 

Most of the Aconites, particulai'ly those with blue flowers, 
are highly poisonous. This species should be carefully experi- 
mented with, as it may be made to supply the tincture of 
aconite and aeonitia for medicinal and chemical purposes. The 
active principal is " the most virulent poison known, not ex- 
cepting prusic acid, as prepared by Moison, of London. 1-50 
of a grain has endangered life." Wilson's Eural Encyc. Chris- 
tison states that this species is possessed of an intense acrimony. 
See also works on Materia Medica. " The 1-100 part of a grain 
has produced a feeling of numbness, weight, and constriction, 
which has lasted a whole day." The tincture of aconite is moi'e 
manageable, and is useful as an external anaesthetic in frontal 
neuralgia, local pains, etc. The writer has used it largely in 
this way whilst in charge of the Marine Hospital, Charleston, 
and with chloroform and glycerine to relieve the itching in 
prurigo and camp itch (1868). No remedy, save chloroform, 
equals it when applied locally for the relief of pain. The 
tincture ma}" be combined with oil and chloroform, as a liniment 
in rheumatism. See Puff Ball {Lycoperdon), the dust of which 
is said to be a good anesthetic agent. 

AM. HEMLOCK; SNAKE-WEED; BEAVER POISON, 

(Cicuta maculata, L. AYalt. Fl., Carolina). Grows in bogs and 
inundated laud; collected in St. John's; Charleston; Newbern, 
N. C. Fl. Aug. 

U. S. Disp. 1242 ; Barton's Collec. 1846 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med ii, 282 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 125; Schoepf, M. Med. 
36; Stockbridge, N. England Journal, iii, 334; Mitchell, Ely, 
and Muhlenburg, Med. Eepos. xvii, 303; Stearns, Am. Herbal, 
li2. The leaves, flowers, and seeds are resolvent, powerfully 
narcotic, sedative, and anodyne. It resembles conium in its 
effects, and is used as a substitute for it. " It relieves pain from 
cancer more powerfully than opium;" employed in ill-condi- 
tioned ulcers, gleets, painful uterine discharges, venereal ulcers, 
epilepsies, and convulsions ; it promotes perspiration and urine, 
and, externally applied, disperses hard tumours. It is closely 



45 

analogous to the European species, the C. virosa; Bigelow says 
identical with it. The dose of the leaves in powder is one to 
two grains three times a day, in infusion, or one grain of the 
extract, increasing it as the system becomes tolerant. This 
plant has repeatedly occasioned the death of those mistaking it 
for others. An active emetic, to which an infusion of galls may 
be added, will generally give relief. The vegetable acids, lemon 
juice, and vinegar, neutralize its effects ; and strong tea and 
coffee are the best antidotes for the stupor which follows its 
employment. 

Dr. Stearns, in his account of the plants of Michigan (Proc. 
Am. Pharm. Assoc. 1858, 253) states that Dr. Norton, of 
Minnesdla, highly recommends it as a specific in nervous and 
sick headache. By a chemical analysis. Dr. J. B. Young found 
in the seeds a volatile oil, a principle supposed to be identical 
with conia, etc. (Am. J. Pharm. xxvii, 294), U. S. Disp. 12th Ed. 

CELERY, (Apium graveolens). Ex. cult. Milne, Ind. Bot. 420. 
The fresh roots, observes Dr. Lewis, when produced in their 
native water soil, are supposed to partake of the ill quality of 
those of the hemlock kind, and to be particularly hurtful to 
epileptic and pregnant women. So that we have here a strik- 
ing evidence of the excellence of the Natural System, as it may 
be remembered that, in describing the characteristics of this 
order, this plant was alluded to as forming an exception. 

PARSLEY, (Apium petroselinum). Ex. cult. Leaves aromatic 
and slightly diuretic, and used as such. A recent Journal 
contains the following: Two physicians of Paris have published 
a very important memoir, the object of which is to make known 
the immense resources which the healing art may draw from 
the seed of the Parsley. This common indigenious plant pos- 
sesses incontestible febrifuge properties ; the decoction of its 
seeds may be substituted for that of Cinchona, and the active 
principal which has been drawn from it, and which they desig- 
nate under the name of Apiol, is equivalent to Quinine in the 
treatment of local intermittent fevers. 

The U. S. Disp. 12th Ed. refers to the substances apiin and apiol 
furnished by the seeds and root of this plant, and also states that 
the juice of the fresh herb has been employed as a substitute for 
quinine — and the seeds also, according to M. M. Jozet and 



46 

Homolle, yield apiol and act on the system very much like quinine 
producing in tlie dose of about 15 grains cerebral excitation, and 
in increased doses causing a species of intoxication with giddi- 
ness, wasted sights and sounds, etc. In temperate latitudes 
it cured intermittents in the proportion of 86 per cent. It 
has also been employed as an emraenagogue in dose of four 
grains morning and evening. (Journ. de Pharm. June, 1861.) 
It is sometimes given in capsules of gelatin. 

x>rc<TT/-kr))ci -iTT-r^-orv ) Discopleura capillacea, D. C. and T. and 
BISHOP S WEED, | ^.^..^^f ^^^^^. ^^^^.^^ of Walter. 

Grows in damp soils. Fl. July. N. C. Shec. Flora Carol. 136- 

^iT A m-oTj T> A -oaATTT* ) Siuiii nodiflorum, Walt, and Ell. Sk. 
WATEE PARSNIP, | jj;^iQsciadium of Koch. 

" Probably introduced; abundant around Charleston." Ell. 

Thornton's Fam. Herbal, 297; Eay's Cat. Plantarum, 213 ; 
Diet, de M. Med. It is recommended in cutaneous eruptions. 
Withering relates the case of a young lad}', who was cured of a 
very obstinate attack by taking three large spoonfuls of the 
juice twice a day; "and I have repeatedly seen," says Thorn- 
ton, "two ounces administered every morning with the greatest 
advantage." It is not nauseous, and children take it readily, 
mixed with milk. When it is prepared in this way it is not 
disagreeable, and does not affect the head, stomach, or bowels. 
U. S. Disp. 1296. The juice has also been employed in scrofu- 
lous swellings of the lymphatic glands, and is considered 
diuretic. Mer. and de L. Diet. 369 ; Bull, des Sc. M. de Ferus. 
xviii, 420 and xx, 421. 

FENNEL, (^Fceniculum officinale). Introduced from Europe ; 
cultivated. 

The seeds of Fennel are well known ; emploj-ed in flatulent 
colic for their carminitive and stimulant properties. The oil of 
fennel is also used for the same purpose, and to correct the taste 
of medicine. See authors. 

COW PARSNIP; MASTERWORT, {Heracleum lanatum, 
Mx.) Mountains of North Carolina. 

This is an acrid plant, much esteemed by the Indians. Bige- 
low. Mat. Med. 203, is of the opinion that it is poisonous, and 
should be used cautiously when gathered from wet places. 
The root and leaves have an unpleasant and rank odour, and 



47 

the taste is pungent and acrid. Its qualities are certainly active. 
. Griffith. The root, in a dried state, is used as a diuretic expec- 
torant and antispasmodic. It has been greatly employed by 
Empyrics. Dr. Griffith quotes a paper by Dr. Orue, of Salem, 
Mass., read to the Massachusetts Medical Society, 1803, in which 
he reports three out of five cases of epilepsy cured by it. He 
gave it in large doses both in substance, and in infusion. Dr. Cox, 
Am. Disp. 326, recommends it as a stomachic and carminative, 
and in cases of dj'-spepsia accompanied with flatulence and car- 
dialgia, he used a strong decoction of it with benefit. The 
leaves are used externally as rubefacients as a cataplasm in ab- 
scesses, and the seeds are said to be expectorant. Dr. Eichardson, 
Faun. Bor. Am., says the Northern Indians use a portion of the 
hollow stem of this plant to imitate the voice of the male deer, 
to attract the female within gunshot. Griffith. 

ANGELICA; MASTBEWOET, }iZaTgel!ca'tt'mr^e. ^'"' 
I have collected it in rich woods in Fairfield district ; also 
rarely in upper St. John's, Charleston district. Fl. July. 

Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 469 ; Ed. and Yav. Mat. Med. 
276 ; Le. M. Med. i, 85 ; Woodv. Med. Bot. 86 ; U. S. Disp. 98 ; 
Journal de Pharm. 3e ser. 2 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med, i, 
296 ; Shec. Flora Carol. 167. The root is edible, and possesses 
more aroma than any of our indigenous plants. It is used in 
spasmodic vomiting, flatulent colics, and nervous headaches ; 
some say it is powerfully emmenagogue. The vittse of some 
species are filled with a pungent oil. A candy is sometimes 
prepared with the roots boiled in sugar. The great fragrance 
of this root has caused it to be used for many purposes by the 
confectioner and others ; the tender stalks also are candied. 
The seeds are cordial, tonic, and carminitive ; and the plant 
was in repute at one time as a preventive of pestilence to those 
who bore it about them. " The pulverized I'oot, in doses of a 
drachm, is said to be very useful in pestilential fevers and 
diseases of the liver; and a paste of its root and vinegar used to 
be carried and smelled at by physicians during the prevalence 
of epidemics, as a preventive of infection." Wilson's Rural Cyc. 
"Angelica" is stated in some tables to yield more potash even 
than wormwood or fumitory. See " Chenopodium " and ''Fuma- 
ria " in this volume. Chapman does not include the A. lucida 



48 

in his Flora — he has Archangelica hirsuta, T, and G. A. triqidnata, 
Ell. N. C. Drs. Wood and Griffith refer to Angelica atropur- 
purea as a native of the South, and Dr. Griffith includes A. 
lucida, also, as a highly aromatic plant. 

DILL, (Anethum fcenicuhim, L.) Introd. cult, in South Caro- 
lina. 

It is employed in flatulent colic as a carminative and anti- 
spasmodic. The oil has been given in hiccough. Milne, in his 
Ind. Bot. 404, says : The herb, boiled in broth, has been used 
with great success in preventing obesity." See authors. 

CAEEOT, {Daucns carota, Tourn.) Completely naturalized, 
says Elliott, in South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. 
Collected in St, John's; Charleston. Fl. April. 

Woodv. Med. Bot. ; Eoyle, Mat. Med., 401. The root and 
seeds are stimulant, carminative, and eminently diuretic ; em- 
ployed with great success in strangury, anasarcous swellings of 
lower extremities, in suppression of urine, and in painful micturi- 
tion. Eberle on Diseases of Children, 110 ; Am. Herbal, 92 ; Frost's 
Elems. Mat. Med. 298. Dr. Chaj)man used a strong infusion in 
gravel. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 299; Flora Med. ii, 
99 ; see Chemical Anal, by Bouillon Lagrange, in the Journal 
de Pharm. i, 529. Britanet and himself wrote a book on the 
plant (which may be seen in the New York Hosp. Lib.) The 
root contains some volatile oil, a large proportion of pectin, a pe- 
culiar coloring principle called carotin, and sugar. Griffith, Med. 
Bot. 337. The authors alluded to above contend that the plant 
acts as a sedative, even topically applied. In the form of a 
poultice, it calms pain, is antiseptic, and corrects the intolerable 
fetor arising from internal diseases — as of the ear, for example. 
Dr. Geo. Wilkes, ophthalmic Surgeon, New York, informs me 
that he finds it invaluable in this respect. Mem. de Museum, iv, 
102 ; Suppl. to Mer. and de L. 1846; Yauquelin upon the Pectic 
Acid in the Eoot of the Carrot, Journal de Pharm. xv, 340. 
The essential oil is regarded as emmeuagogue and anti-hysteric. 
Ancien Journal de Med. xxiv, 68. In Germany, it is considered 
vermifuge. Crantz, Mat. Med. i, 23. Shecut, in his Flora 
Carol., alludes to its employment in gravel, and in expelling a 
species of tape worm. A syrup similar to treacle has been 
obtained from it, and by distillation, a liquor nearly equal in 



49 

flavor to brandy. An old Encyclopcedia, in a very favorable 
notice of the carrot, then not so generally known, gives this 
statement : 

" Yarious but unsuccessful attempts have been made to get 
sugar from carrots — they yielded only a thick syrup similar to 
treacle. These roots have been lately employed more advan- 
tageously in distillation. A distiller has obtained from ten 
pounds of carrots, one quart of 'first runnings' and half a pint 
of very strong ardent spirits." 

Much use is made of the seeds of this plant in popiilar prac- 
tice as a diuretic. For this purpose a drachm of the bruised 
seeds, which are excitant and carminative, may be taken at 
once, or an infusion of an ounce of the seeds may be given 
during the day. Prof. Proctor has made an ointment of the 
root grated and mixed with lard and wax melted, and slightly 
evaporated and then strained. It is used in excoriated or ulce- 
rated surfaces requiring a gentle stimulation. U. S. Disp., 12th 
Edition. 

WILD CAKROT, (Baucus pusillus, Mx.) Grows on the Sa- 
vannah River; collected in St. John's; Charleston. Bach.. X C. 

Eberle, Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 318; Bell's Pract. Diet. 162. 
The seeds contain more volatile oil than the other species. It, 
however, possesses nearly the same properties. Used as a diu- 
retic in calculous diseases, suppression of urine, etc. 

ARALIACE^. {The Aralia Tribe.) 

GINSENG, {Panax quinquefolium, L.) Rich soils in the moun- 
tains of South Carolina and Virginia, and westward. FI. May. 

Am. Herbal, 157, by Stearns. In China they drink an infu- 
sion of the root instead of tea, and it is well known that they 
have recourse to it as a last resort in all diseases ; Dr. James 
says, more especially in all cachectic and consumptive cases, 
and in those arising from debility of any kind. Dr. Healde 
also alludes to their great confidence in it as a restorative after 
great fatigue, as an anti-spasmodic in nervous affections, in 
coma, and as an aphrodisiac ; one hundred and twenty grains 
of the sliced root are boiled in a quart of water, and two ounces 
of the decoction, or twenty grains of the root in substance, is 
employed. Jartoux, in the Phil. Trans, xxviii, 239, states that, 
after being fatigued by travelling three days, he employed the 
4 



50 

decoction of the leaves internally, and as an application to the 
feet, and was satisfied of its utility, being completely revived 
by it. Dr. Wood, in the U. S. Disp. 530, says, it is very little 
more than a demulcent ; but Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot. 25, thinks 
that thei-e is no reasonable doubt of the ginseng having an in- 
vigorating and stimulant power, when fresh. Big. Am. Med. 
Bot. ii, 82 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 356, and iv, 176; 
Flor. Med. iv, 185 ; Kaerapher, Amoen. Academicse, v, 218 ; His- 
toire du Japon, vi, 218 ; Burmann, Flo. Ind. tab. 29, i ; L'Bncy- 
clop. Chinoise, Ixcii; Flora Cochine, 806; Lafitteau, Deserip. du 
Ginseng, Paris, 1718, i, 12. Dr. Sarrazin introduced it into 
notice in Europe. Trans. Roy. Acad. Sci., Bartram Com. 61, 
1741 ; J. P. Bregnius, Diss. Med. de Radice Ginseng, 1700 ; Coxe, 
Am. Disp. 434. Cullen in his Mat. Med. 270, refers to its effi- 
cacy in increasing virility. See Merat, loc. cit. " J'avoue qu'un 
individu qui en avait fait usage dans cet derniere intention 
pendant long temps, n'en obtint absolument aucun resultat." 
S. Yaillant in Acad, des Sci. 1718; Bourdelin, Hist, de I'Acad. 
1797 ; Lafitteau, Mem. concernant la precieuse plante do Gin- 
seng, Paris, 1788; Kalm. Travels, iii, 114; Osbeck's China, 145; 
Heberden, Med. Trans, iii, 34; Fothergill, Gent. Mag. xxiv, 209; 
loc. cit. sup. The Ginseng was an article of importance as an 
export from Virginia. The root is thought to resemble liquo- 
rice, and may partially supply the place of that article: see 
Report from Surgeon-General's office, C. S. A., 1862. 

THREE LEAVED GINSENG, {Panax trifolium L.) N. C. 
Ci'oom. 

This formed an article of considerable trade formerly with 
the Indians, and it makes an excellent cordial. Mills' Statistics 
of South Carolina. 

LIQUORICE, (^Glycyrrhiza glabra.) Exotic. I am uncertain 
as to the position of this genus in the Natural system ; it should 
probably be placed near "Robinia." Dr. Wood states, U. S. 
Disp., that a species G. lepidota grows about St. Louis and along 
the bank of the Missouri to its source. A friend informs me that 
it has been a long time planted near Doko, on the Charlotte 
Railroad, in South Carolina, where it grows luxuriantl}^ This 
plant is said to be well adapted to the Southern States. It has 
been grown in Texas. Information as to the best mode of 
planting and culture can be found in a paper in Patent Office 



51 

Eep. 1854, p. 359. I append the following practical remarks : 
"The sooner liquorice is sold the heavier it weighs ; and the 
greener it is the more virtue it contains. It is sold in three 
distinct forms, viz : in the roots, in powder, and in its inspissated 
juice. The first of these needs no explanation. The second is 
prepared by cutting the small roots into small pieces, drying 
them in an oven or kiln, and grinding them in a mill. The third 
kind is prepared by pounding the smaller roots and fragments 
with cold water for nearly two days ; after which the pulp is to 
be squeezed, and the juice boiled down in an iron pot to a pitchy 
consistence, and then rolled or stamped into sticks or cakes, 
which are sometimes sold under the name of ' Spanish Liquo- 
rice.' Liquorice roots will keep a year if laid in sand, and stoi'ed 
in a cool, dry cellar ; and if the sets, or runners, or buds, are 
cut ready for planting, tied in bundles, and sent by land car- 
riage, they will keep a fortnight. If packed in sand, and sent 
by water, they will keep some three or four months, especially 
the nM)re hardy buds." In the Patent Ofiice Eeports for 1854-55, 
the cultivation of a number of medical plants is described, par- 
ticularly those yielding aromatic oils. 

TOOTHACHE BUSH; ANGELICA TEEE ; PKICKLY 
ASH; PEICKLY ELDER, (Amlia spinosa, L.) Collected in 
St. John's; rich soils along fences; Charleston, Florida and 
North Carolina. 

Plant often confounded with the JCanthoxylon ; properties 
somewhat similar. See JC. fraxineiwi, which is the true Prickly 
Ash. Ell. Bot. 373 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 379 ; 
Coxe, Am. Disp. 100; Shcc. Elora Carol. 191; Frost's Elems. 
20; Griffith, Med. Bot. 345. It is a stimulating and very 
certain diaphoretic, " probably to be preferred to any emetic 
yet discovered among our native plants." This species is more 
stimulating than the A. nudicaulis. The infusion of the bark 
of the root is used in chronic rheumatism and cutaneous 
eruptions, also employed in lues venerea. Pursh states that a 
vinous or spirituous infusion of the berries is remarkable for their 
power in relieving rheumatic pains, and the tincture is also given 
in Virginia in violent colics. See Dr. Meara's experiments. 
Merat says, it has been used to allay pain caused by carious 
teeth. Dose, of the saturated tincture, a tablespoonful three 
times a day. A decoction is often preferred in rheumatism, 



52 

made by boiling an ounce of the bark in a quart of water ; 
taken in divided doses several times a d&y. In South Carolina, 
this plani is the rattlesnake's master ^ar excellence, according to 
the negroes ; they rely on it almost exclusively as a remedy for 
the bite of serpents. I am informed that they use the bark of 
the fresh root in substance, taken internally, also applying it 
powdered to the wounded pai't. Dr. Meara advises that the 
watery infusion, when employed as a diaphoretic, should be made 
very weak, as it is apt to excite nausea, and cause irritation of 
the salivary glands. 

SPIKEISTAED, {Aralia racemosa, L. Mx.) Grows, according to 
Dr. McBride, in the mountains of South Carolina, Grcorgia and 
North Carolina. 

Ell. Bot. Med., note, i, 373. The decoction of the root is much 
esteemed by those residing in the mountainous districts as a 
remedy in rheumatism ; no doubt possessed of stimulating pro- 
perties. Michaux cites it as a sudorific. The root, when boiled, 
yields a gummj^ substance. A tea, syrup, or tincture, may be 
made of the roots or berries. It is given in coughs, asthma and 
diseases of the lungs. Also given as a stimulant in menstrual 
obstructions ; said to be in high repute among the Indians. See 
the " Indian Guide to Health." Dr. Sarazzin informs us that it 
is very useful as a cataplasm in inveterate ulcers ; generally 
adapted to similar purposes with the A. 7iudicavlis. Mer. and de 
Li. Diet, de M. Med. i, 376 ; U. S. Disp.; Am. Journal Med. Sci. 
xix, 117. 

WILD SAESAPAEILLA ; WILD LIQUOKICE, (Aralia 
nudicaulis, Mx.) Mountains of South and Noi-th Carolina. Fl. 
June. 

Eaf Med. Flora, i, 53; U. S. Disp. 116. A gently stimulating 
diaphoretic ; thought to be alterative, and used in poj)ular prac- 
tice in rheumatism, syphilis, and cutaneous affections. Mer. and 
de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 375. Dr. Meara records the roots as pos- 
sessing the virtues of sarsaparilla. Mus. Med. Philos. iv. An excit- 
ant diaphoretic, and eutrophic, like mezereon.guaiac, sarsaparilla, 
and sassafras. The infusion has been employed with success in 
zona, and as a tonic in debility of stomach (les reldchemens 
d'estomac.) Coxe, U. S. Disp. 99 ; Lindley's Nat. Syst.; Griffith 
Med. Bot. 344 : Phil. Med. Mus. ii, 161. Administered in domes- 



53 

tic practice, in pulmonary disease, where inflammation does not 
coexist. 

DWAEF ELDEK, (Aralia hispida, Mx.) Mountains of North 
Carolina and northward. 

Dr. Peck strongly recommends the root as a diuretic in dropsy. 
He uses it in the form of decoction and finds it pleasanter to the 
taste and more acceptable to the stomach than most other medi- 
cines of the same class. Am. J. Med. S. C. xix, 117 ; U. S- 
Disp., 12th Edition. 

' BEEBEEACE^. (The Berberry Tribe.) - 

AMEEICAN BAEBEEEY, (Berberis vulgaris, Walt. Fl. Carol. 
Berbens Canadensis, Ph. and Ell.) Grows wild in St. John's, Berke- 
ley, near Woodlawn, PI.; upper districts of Georgia, South and 
North Carolina, and northward. Fl. May. 

Shec. Flora Carol, (see B. vidgaris,) 268 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 
30 ; U. S. Disp. 1233, Appendix. The B. vulgaris of Europe, 
with which this plant is not identical, though differing from it 
but slightly, if at all, in medicinal properties, has received con- 
siderable attention. They are used as a domestic remedy in 
jaundice, and in dysentery and diarrhoea ; it is supposed that the 
acid is specific. From analysis by Buchner and Herberger, it is 
shown that the root contains a new principle called berberine, 
which acts like rhubarb, and with equal promptness and activity. 
Griffith, Med. Bot. 113 ; Journal de Pharm. 1233 ; Trans. Phil. 
Soc. 1834 ; Analysis in Journal de Pharm. xxiv, 39 ; Mer. and de 
L. Diet, de M. Med. Supplement, 1846, 101. From the berries a 
syrup is obtained which is adapted to putrid fevers, and those of 
a low type ; a cooling drink is also made with them, and given 
in similar cases. The root boiled in lye imparts a yellow color to 
wool. I have observed the remarkable irritability of the stamens 
in the species growing in South Carolina, which, when touched, 
instantly spring down upon the stigma, and in this way com- 
municate their pollen to it. It was said to have a singular eff'ect 
upon wheat growing near it, turning the ears black for some dis- 
tance around ; but this, however, is doubted. The berries are 
acid. The English barberry (B. vidgaris) has attracted much 
attention ; its fruit is edible, and much discussion has been ex- 
cited whether or not it produces smut in wheat or corn when 
planted near it. Experiments touching this peculiarity should 



54 

be performed with respect to our barberry. For a full state- 
ment of the merits of the above question, see AVilson's Eural 
Cyc. Art Barberry. Thaer, in his " Principles of Agriculture," 
p. 409, says : " One very extraordinary fact is that the barberry 
bush will produce smut, or something very similar to it, in all 
corn growing within a considerable distance of it. This is 
a fact which has been confirmed by numerous observa- 
tions and experiments in almost all countries. But it 
has never yet been clearly and satisfactorily ascertained 
in what manner the barberry produces this effect. My 
friend Einhoff has made several experiments on the possi- 
bility of communicating the cecidium (a parasitical fungus) to 
cereals by cutting branches from the barberry, which were 
quite covered with it, and shaking them over the corn, or else 
planting them in the midst of it ; but he never sncceeded in 
thus producing the disease ; therefore it would seem that it is 
not the communication of this dust, but the vegetation of the 
barberry in the vicinity of the cornfield, which engenders the 
disease. Nor will it attack crops planted near young and new- 
ly made barberry hedges ; but as these latter grow up, the dis- 
ease will appear until these hedges are rooted up. As soon as 
the barberry has been thoroughly extirpated, the evil disap- 
pears." Thaer considei"S mill or mel-dew a disease of the skin 
of plants. See this work for information on diseases affecting 
the cereals — on irrigation, etc. Translated by William Shaw 
and C. W. Johnson, New York, 1852. It is believed by some 
in this country that the pokeweed (Phytolacca,) if allowed to 
die in a cotton field, wilt produce rust. This is quite unlikely. 

Dr. Wood advises that the active principle berberina be ex- 
amined for its antipcriodic properties. See Hydrastis, in this 
volume ; U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

BLUE COHOSH; PAPOOSE ROOT; SQUAW ROOT, 
(Caulophgllumthalictroides,M.^., JOeonticethalictroides, L.) Moun- 
tains of South Carolina and northward. Ell. 

The seeds when roasted are said to form an excellent substi- 
tute for coffee. The root, which is the part used, is sweetish, 
somewhat pungent and aromatic, affording a yellow infusion or 
tincture. See Grriffith, who says that it is much employed by 
empyrics, who derived a knowledge of it from the Indian. "It 
is stated to be demulcent, antispasmodic and emmenagogue, 



55 

and has been administered in rheumatism, dropsy, nervous die- 
orders," etc. Rafinesque states, adds Griffith, that it is par- 
ticularly adapted for female disorders, and that the Indian wo- 
men make use of a tea of the root for some time before their 
confinement, asserting that it facilites parturition. It is like- 
wise said to bo an active emmenagogue. Ryddell, Synop. 4, 
also states that it is "bitter, diuretic and a preparatory partu- 
rient." Griffith invites an examination of it. A decoction, in- 
fusion or tincture of the root is employed ; of the two former 
the proportions are an ounce to a pint of water — dose one or 
two ounces; the dose of the tincture, made by adding four 
ounces of the root to a pint of spirits, being one or two tcaspoon- 
fuls. 

SARRACENIACE41. 

The species of this order are exclusively confined to the bogs 
of this country. Lindley thinks it should also comprehend the 
Dion'sea, which grows in North and South Carolina, and which 
also possesses the' power of entrapping insects. See D. mus- 
cipula. 

FLY-CATCHERS; SIDE-SADDLE FLOWERS, (Sarrace- 
nia fiava, L., and van'olaris, M.) Diffused ; grow in bogs > 
Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. June. 

See Mer and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 226, where the Diss, 
of Dr. McBride, of South Carolina, in the 12th vol. Trans. 
Linna^an Soc, is referred to. I have read this description of 
one of our native botanists, and allude to it with pleasure. I 
am informed by several gentlemen of South Carolina, that these 
plants are used in dyspepsia with great service. The roots are 
undoubtedly possessed of bitter, tonic and stomachic proper- 
ties ; and I am credibly assured of a number of cases in which 
relief has been experienced from them. The taste is disagreea- 
ble to those using them for the first tijne, but eventually it be- 
comes pleasant, as I have myself experienced. An infusion 
might serve as a useful substitute for bitters. 

In an article on the medicinal and chemical properties of 
these plants, published by me in the January number (1849) of 
the Charleston Medical Journal, the attention of the profession 
is for the first time invited to their reputed value in the treat- 
ment of dj^'spepsia. Several cases are there detailed, illustrat- 



56 

ing the employment of the Sarracenia. It is supposed by many 
to relieve most of the distressing symptoms of this atfection, 
among which may be cited : gasti-algia, pyrosis, acidity, and 
the general feeling of malaise so frequently attendant upon it. 
In some it induces considerable diuresis, and in others soreness 
of the mouth. In experiments made upon my own person, to 
ascertain its physiological effects upon a healthy individual, 
it exhibited a tonic, stimulating influence upon the digestive 
organs, producing some cerebral disturbance, when persisted in. 
On one occasion three hundred and twenty grains of the 
dried root, in the form of pills, were taken during the 
course of twelve hours. From the examination made for 
me by Prof. C. TJ. Shepard, it contains besides lignin, 
coloring matter, and traces of a resinous body, an acid, or 
an acid salt, and also an astringent property, due neither 
to^ tannic nor gallic acid, -and a salt of some alkaloid, related 
perhaps to cinchona, which, should it prove new, may be called 
sarraceniny I ascertained the existence of starch in some 
quantity in the cold infusion and in the decoction, not discovered 
in the boiled alcoholic solution, which, however, contained 
some gluten. '-In its exhibiting in moderate quantities no 
very decided nor violent eflects upon the animal economy in 
disease consists its excellence. And its peculiar action on the 
stomach, I think, is the result of a happy combination of ele- 
ments, which renders it appropriate to the relief of an affection 
like dyspepsia. Its acid prevents or corrects the undue forma- 
tion of alkalies, or supplies its own deficiency ; the existence of 
either condition having- been assumed as explaining the true 
pathology of the disease. Its power of neutralizing or correct- 
ing acidity was obvious. Its bitter property, which is abund- 
ant, is tonic and restorative ; its i-esinous portion may supply 
the proper cathartic stimulus, the too inordinate action of which 
is corrected by the astringent; and this being neither that of 
the tannic nor gallic acid found in other vegetable tonics, may 
be superior. Should dyspepsia be a gastric neuralgia, or con- 
sist, as Parry thinks, in a condition of hyperaemia ; or as, ac- 
cording to Wilson Philip, a chronic gastritis, its relief may be 
accounted for, by a narcotic principle contained in the plant ; 
the cerebral disturbance, one of its physiological effects upon 
my own person, giving some color to the suggestion." (See 



57 

Art. cit. sup.) A bit of the fresh or dried root of either species 
may be chewed, and the juice swallowed during the day before 
each meal ; it may be given powdered in the form of pill, with 
a little rhubarb if necessary; or a tincture may be made by 
pouring a pint of brandy over several ounces of the root, of 
which half an ounce, diluted, may be taken three times a day. 
I have lately had cases reported to me of its marked success 
in the relief of chronic diarrhcea and dysentery*, and I am 
pleased to learn that it is noAv widelj' used in other portions of 
South Carolina and in Georgia, with very general approba- 
tion. 

PITCHER PLAXT, (Sarracenia purpurea.) I have speci- 
mens from Barhamville, S. C, and have collected it in St. John's, 
S. C, near the State Eoad. It is not near so common as the 
other species. X. C. Curt. Cat. 

The following paper was sent to the Surg. General C. S. 
Army, and was addressed to the Editor of the "Evening Mail," 
Eng., by Cosmo G. Logic, Surg. Major Eoyal Home Guards 
(Blue,) and dated Windsor, May 25, (1862:) 

Some time ago, seeing a paper written by Assistant Surgeon 
Miles, of the Eoyal Artilk-ry, on the efficacy of the Xorth 
American plant called the Sarracenia purpurea, or pitcher plant, 
in the treatment of small-pox among the Indians, my colleague 
(Mr. Agnis) and myself have given this remed}-, which has 
been imported into this country by Dr. Miles, to the house of 
Messrs. Savoy & Moore, a fair trial. And I am happy to say 
the eleven cases in our hands have recovered under its peculiar 
influence. This remedy I consider a boon to the public, for this 
reason : it is so easily managed ; any one can make a decoction 
or infusion of the root, like tea. An ounce of the root is sliced 
and infused in a quart of water and allowed to simmer down to 
a pint, and given in two tablesjjoonful doses every four hours, 
while the patient is well nourished with beef tea and aiTow 
root. Four of the cases in my hospital have been severe con- 
fluent cases, (confluent means where the head, face and neck are 
swollen into a misshapen mass, and the pustules thickly run- 
ning into each other ;) they have throughout the disease all 
been perfectly sensible, have had excellent appetites, been fi-ee 
from pain, and have never felt weak. The eftects of this medi- 
cine, which I have carefully watched, seemed to arrest the 



58 

development of the pustules, killing, as it were, the virus from 
within, thereby changing the character of the disease, and 
doing away with the cause of pitting (if I may so express 
myself to the uninitiated,) and thus avoiding the necessity of 
gutta percha and India rubber application, or of opening the 
pustules. In my opinion, all the anticipations of disfigurement 
from pitting may now be calmed, if this medicine is given from 
the commencement of the disease. Before leaving this subject 
I may here caution the public that the useful part of the plant 
is its root, as recommended by Dr. Miles, and it can only be 
obtained from Messrs. Savoy & Moore, to whose house alone it 
has been imported. With the usual kindness of Dr. Gribson, 
the Director-General, I have been amply supplied with it for 
the use of my regiment. So much am I impressed with the 
efficacy of it in small-pox over the old mode of treatment, that 
I hope to heal' of it in every country gentleman's medicine 
chest. " 

It is difficult to conceive how it acquired any reputa- 
tion in the cure of small-pox, unless from the fact that simple 
means are the best in the treatment of this disease, as in other 
eruptive fevers. I do not know that the S. purpurea has ever 
been experimented with in this country. I was unable to procure 
any of it in Yii'ginia, in obedience to the wishes of Surgeon- 
General Moore. Dr. A. Eaoul informs me that this plant has 
been used in South Carolina to correct vomiting in pregnant 
women, 1867. He has employed it for this purpose. Prof. 
Wood, in 12th Ed. U. S. Disp., is inclined to put no confidence in 
the power of this plant as a remedy in small-pox, and I fully 
agree with him. He refers to a description of this species in 
all its relations by Prof. Bentley, in a paper in the Pharm. Journ. 
for January, 1863. 

EHIZOPHOEACE^. {Mangrove Tribe.) 

MANGEOVE, {Rhizophora mangle, L.) This plant is found 
in South Florida. Chapman. An introduced species is used in 
India for yielding a black dye. 

ONAGEACEiE. {The Evening Primrose Tribe.) 

SOABISH, {(Enothera biennis, Linn.) Grows in dry pastures ; 
diffused ; collected in Charleston District ; Newbeni. 



59 

Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. iv, 202 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 36 ; 
V. S. Disp. 1281 ; Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, -iU ■ Griffith, Med. 
Bot. 304. The root and herb have been employed in cutaneous 
diseases. Dr. Griffith has used it with success in tetter, apply- 
ing the decoction to the affected part several times a day, and 
giving it internally at the same time. He has been successful 
with it in subsequent trials. Th« plant should be gathered 
about the flowering season. The young sprigs are mucilagi- 
nous, and can be eaten as salad. Lindley. The leaves of the 
QEnothera expand in the evening, and continue open all night. 
Pursh states that, even of a dark night, it can be seen at some 
distance, owing, he supposes, to some phosphoric property. 
The leaves are stated by M. Dussauce, in his Treatise on Tan- 
ning, Philada., 1867, to be useful in tanning leather. Its roots 
have a nutty flavor, somewhat similar to those of rampion, and 
are used in Germany and some parts of France, stewed and 
raw, ir^ salads, with mustard, oil, salt and pepper, like the 
common celery The ancients thought the plant possessed the 
power of allaying intoxication and calming the most ferocious 
animals. It is doubtful whether this is theCEnothera of the 
ancients. Wilson's Eural Cyc. It appears to possess some 
power as an abstergent, and is used in washing clothes. 

WILLOW-HERB, {Epilobium augxistifolium, T.) Mountains 
of N. C. and northward. The leaves and root are said to be 
demulcent, tonic and astringent, and yield their virtues to 
alcohol. They are used by the "Eclectics," adds Dr. Wood, 
generally and locally, in decoction infusion or cataplasm, in 
cases which call for the use of astringent remedies ; U. S. Disp., 
12th Ed. 

Jussicea grandijlora, Mich. Grows in bogs; "common 
around Savannah, and in ponds four miles from Charleston." 

Dr. J. Bachman informs me that he has seen it in abundance 
around Charleston for the space of ten miles, from which 
locality I have specimens. Fl. July. Dr. S. A. Cartwright, of 
J^atchez, asserts that this plant has the power of preventing 
the development of malaria in regions peculiarly adapted to its 
generation. He affirms that it "purifies all stagnant water in 
which it grows — that of the lakes and bayous inhabited by it 
being as pure to the sight, taste and smell as if it had just 
fallen fi'om the clouds" — ascribing to the pi*esence and peculiar 



60 

"hygienic or health-preserving properties of this plant" the 
remarkable exemption of the inhabitants of lower Louisiana 
from "malarious or miasmatic diseases." "The fact," he adds, 
"that the region of country in which this aquatic plant abounds 
is exceedingly healthy, can be established beyond cavil or dis- 
pute ; it nevertheless contains more stagnant water and swamps 
than any other inhabited district of the same extent in the 
United States." He is quoted in the notes appended by the 
American editor, to AYatson's Pract. Physic, p. .465 ; and Dr. 
Wood, in his late woi-k on the Practice of Physic, also makes 
use of these assertions as if they were established. Dr. C. must 
seek for the exemption of this section of country from these 
diseases in other causes, as this plant is abundant around the 
cities alluded to above, in situations where it is well known that 
fevers of malarious origin are continually prevailing, I have 
recently observed this plant growing profusely around Charles- 
ton Neck, where intermittent and remittent fevers are noto- 
riously prevalent. 

The genus Jussiisa has its 7'oots distended into vegetable swim- 
ming bladders. The curious can examine the ./. grandiflora to 
observe this peculiarity, like that in our beautiful Utricularia in- 
flata, Tt/pha and Nymphma (water lily,) and Sagittaria, also " dis- 
play mjanads of air chambers in the solid stem." See Wilson, 
" Aquatic plants." 

BASTARD LOOSESTRIFE; SEED BOX, (Ludioigia alter- 
nifolia, Jj.') Grows in Charleston District; Elliott says rare; 
seven miles from Beaufort, and at Savannah ; collected in St, 
John's ; North Carolina. Fl. Aug. 

Merat, in the Diet, de M. Med. iv, 154, says that in America a 
decoction of the root is employed as an unfailing emetic. 

MELASTOMACE.E. 

In this order, a slight degree of astringency is the prevailing 
characteristic ; though a large one, it does not contain a single 
unwholesome species. 

DEER GRASS ; SORREL, (Rhexia glabella, Mx.) Grows in 
moist pine lands, vicinity of Charleston ; collected in St. John's; 
North Carolina. Fl. July. 

The leaves of this plant have a sweetish, acid taste, and are 
eaten with impunity. Deer are said to be fond of them. 



61 

MYETACE^. {The Myrtle Tribe.) 

POMEGEANATE, {Funica granatum.) Cultivated with suc- 
cess in the Southern States. The bark of the root is a well known 
astringent ; employed in dysentery and diarrhoea ; one scruple 
of the powder may be given at a dose, or a decoction may be 
used if this is too strong, as it acts on the nervous system. Car- 
son, in his Illust. Med. Bot. i, 1847, states that it has also been 
employed with success against taenia. The fruit is remarkable 
for the beauty of the coloration of the pulp around the seed ves- 
sels, which are packed away in a surpiisingly economical man- 
ner. This is edible, and forms with water a cooling ascescent 
drink, grateful in fevers. A correspondent of the " Mercury," 
"F. J. S.," 1862, says that the rind of the fruit yields a jet black 
fluid, which writes very smoothly and retains its jett}' hue." 

LYTHEACE^. {Loosestrife Family:) 

SWA^TP LOOSESTEIFE, {Nescea verticillata, H. B. H. De- 
codon verticillatum, Ell.) N. C. 

Lindley tells us : " It is said to destroy the young of cattle 
heavy with calf." Dr. Tully says: " If a great amount of testi- 
mony will decide anything in medicine, Decodon v. is an ecbolic 
for certain brute animals. This efl:ect is said to bo most fre- 
quently produced upon ewes, next upon cows, and sometimes 
upon mares. " 

HAMAMELACE^. {The Witch-Hazel Tribe.-) 

This order, remarks Lindley, is found in the northern parts of 
North America, Japan and China. In my examination of the 
various authorities on the subject before me, I have frequently 
been struck with the correspondence prevailing between the 
species found in South Carolina and those of Japan, and this re- 
spects only the medical botany of the two ; should the flora of 
each be compared, a still more universal relation might be estab- 
lished. Professor Agassiz has noticed something of the same 
kind existing between the fossil botany and the fauna of each. 

WITCH-HAZEL, {Hamamelis Virginica, L.) Grows along 
pine land bays ; collected in St. John's, Charleston District ; vicin- 
ity of Charleston, Bach.; N. C. 



62 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 452; Coxo, Am. Disp. 310; 
U. S. Disp. 1258; Matson's Yeg. Pract. 201 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 
350 ; Eatinesque, Med. Flor. i, 227. It is said to be sedative, as- 
tringent, tonic and discutient. The bark was a remedy derived 
from the Indians, who appHed it to painful tumors, using the 
decoction as a wash in inflammator}^ sweUings, painful hemor- 
rhoidal affections and ophthalmias. A cataplasm, and a tea of 
the leaves, as an astringent, were employed in hiematemesis. The 
steam practitioners also administer it in irritable hemorrhoids, 
and during the bearing-down pains attending child-birth. No 
analysis has been made, but as it probably contains sedative and 
astringent principles, attention is directed to it. The curious 
reader may consult, besides the paper in Hutton's "Mathema- 
tics," on the wonderful properties of the witch-hazel in detecting 
water, a recent one in Patent Office Eeport on Agriculture, p. 16, 
1851. This is from Prarie du Chien, by Mr. Alfred Burnson, 
and contains some remarkable statements of the certainty of 
finding water by divining rods. Some electrical and telluric influ- 
ences are hinted at — Credat Judceus! Persons living in the up- 
per districts of South Carolina assume to use the rod with suc- 
cess. 

Dr. James Fountain, of Peokskill, N, Y., speaks highly of the 
efficacy of the bark in hemorrhage of the lungg and stomach, 
and also as one of the best applications for external piles, an 
ointment being prepared from lard, and a decoction of equal 
parts of this bark, white oak bark and that of the apple tree. 
He believes the witch-hazel to possess anodyne properties. (N. 
Y. J. Med. X, 208.) Dr. N. S. Davis in his report (Trans. Am. 
Med. Assoc, i, 350,) agrees with Dr. Fountain in his estimate of 
this remed}', which he has cmploj^ed in the form of a decoction, 
made with one ounce to a pint of water; dose, a wine glass full 
every three to eight hours in incipient phthisis. U. S. Disp., 
12th Ed. 

In the Eichmond Journal for January, 1868, is an article from 
the Atlanta Med. and Surg. Journ. (1867,) in which Dr. W, W. 
Durham claims for this plant properties similar to those said by 
Dr. Phares to be those of the Virhurnum pruni folium, and which 
tend to confirm opinions expressed above by Prof Davis and 
othei'S. In reference to its power of preventing abortion or 
miscarriage, Dr. Durham says: "At one period of my practice 



63 

the negroes used the cotton root so frequcntl}'^ to produce 
abortion, that my supply of black haw became exhausted, and 
having heard of this power of the hazel to affect the purpose 
for which I used the haw, I resorted to it (the hazel) with per- 
fect success. Having only used it for the purpose of preventing 
abortion, from the effects of the cotton root, I cannot speak of it 
in other cases." He makes a decoction of one pint of the leaves 
to one pint of water, which is administered freel}'. See also 
Viburnum jjrunifolium. 

Dr. Joseph Bates, in an article on the Witch-hazel, published 
in Tilden's " Journ. of Mat. Med," February, 1868, furnishes an 
analj^sis of this plant by Dr. A. Lee. (See J. of Mat. Med. 2, 
p. 200.) The bark contains organic and inorganic matter, 
allumen gum, extractive, tannin, a particular (bitter) principle, 
resin, starch, etc. 

Dr. Lee observes : " The great amount of tannin contained in 
this plant is worthy of notice; while the sumach contains 
three hiyadred and twenty-five and geranium one hundred and 
thirty-six j)arts in seven thousand, the hazel contains no less 
than four hundred." This is an important statement and 
deserves attention. In the Boston Med. J. Surg. J., v, 37, p. 
348, is an account of the efficacy of this plant in arresting hem- 
orrhages — the leaves being cliewed and the juice swallowed. 
Tilden & (^o. prepare a fluid extract which may- be given in 
doses of one to two drachms. By means of this an infusion or 
a wash may be made by mixing with water in the proportion 
of one ounce to a pint. 

COENACE.E. (7/ie Dogwood Tribe.) 
DOGWOOD, {Gornus Florida, L.) Well knoAvn ; diffused in 

rich, shady lands ; Newbern ; Va. 

Drayton's View S. C. 63 ; Bell's Pract. Diet. 152 ; Barton's 

Collec. 12; Eberle, Mat. Med. 303; Chap. Therap. and Mat. 

Med. ii, 438 ; Ell. Bot. i, 208 ; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 753; U. S. Disp. 

277 ; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 197 ; Am. Journal Pharm. vii, 

114; Eoyle, Mat. Med. 422 ; Ball, and Gar. 310 ; Mer. and de L. 

Diet, de M. Med. iv, 436 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 73 ; Shec. Elora 

Carol. 449; Thacher's Disp. 203; Walker's Inaug. Diss. Phil. 

1803; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 49; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 

This well known plant possesses tonic and anti-intermittent 



64 

properties, very nearly allied to those of cinchona ; in periodic 
fevers, one of the most valuable of our indigenous plants. "Dr. 
Gregg states that, after employing it for twenty-three j^ears in 
the treatment of intermittent fevers, he was satisfied that it 
was not inferior to Peruvian bark.'" Generally given in con- 
junction with laudanum. It also possesses antiseptic powers. 
In the recent state, it is leas stimulating than the cinchona bark, 
but it affects the bowels more ; the dried bark is the preferable 
form. The fresh bark will sometimes act as a cathartic. It is 
more stimulating than thoroughwort (Eupatorium,) and, there- 
fore, is less aj)plicable during the hot stages of fever. According 
to Dr. Walker's examination, the bark contains extractive mat- 
ter, gum, resin, tannin and gallic acid ; and Dr. Carpenter 
announces in it a new principal, cornine. Dr. 8. Jackson also, 
from experiment, is satisfied that it contains a principle analo- 
gous to quinia. It has been exhibited by Dr. S. G. Morton in 
intermittent fever, with success. Griffith, in his Med. Bot. 347, 
mentions that the infusion of the flowers is useful as a substitute 
for chamomile tea ; for analysis, see Am. Journ. Pharm. i, 114 ; 
and Phil. Journal Med. and Phys. Sci. xl. Dose of the dried 
bark in powder, is twenty to sixty grains ; the decoction is made 
with one ounce of the root to one pint of water, or the extract 
may be employed ; alcohol also extracts its virtues. The ripe 
fruit, infused in brandy, makes an agreeable and useful bitter, 
which may be a convenient substitute for the article prepared 
in the shops. Dr. D. C. O'Keeffe, of Geoi'gia, published an 
article on the C. Florida in the So. Med. and Surg. Journal, Jan- 
uary, 1849. He gave the extract in doses of ten grains to two 
drachms, without its producing any disturbance of the stomach, 
as alleged by some writers. Barton says, in his Collections, 
that the bark is valuable in a malignant disorder of horses 
called 3'ellow water. From the gallic acid it contains, a good 
writing ink may be made, and from the bark of the fibrous 
roots the Indians extracted a scarlet color. Lindley mentions 
that the young branches, stripped of their bark;" and rubbed 
'^ against the teeth, render them extremely white. It is often 
employed for this purpose by persons living in the country. 

Where there is need of astringent anti-periodics and tonics, 
the dogwood bark powdered will be found the best substitute 
for the Peruvian. Internally and externally, it can be applied 



fin 

wherever the cinchona barks were found serviceable. The dog- 
wood bark and root, in decoction, or in form of cold infusion, is 
believed by many to be the most efficient substitute for quinine, 
also in treating malarial fevers ; certainly, it might be used in 
the cases occurring in camp, to prevent the waste of quinine, as 
it can be easily and abundantly procured. 

Dr. Richard Moore, of Sumter County, informs me that he not 
only finds it efficient in fevers, but particularly useful, with 
whiskey or alcohol, in low forms of fevers, and dj'sentcry 
occurring near our river swamps. 

During convalescence also, where an astringent tonic is re- 
quired, this plant meets our requirements. See Enpatorium 
(boneset) and Liriodendron (Poplar.) These, with the black- 
berry and chinquapin as astringents, the gentians and pipsis- 
sewa as tonics and tonic diuretics, the sweet gum, sassafras, and 
bene for their mucilaginous and aromatic properties, and the 
wild jalap (Podophyllum) as a cathartic, supply the surgeon in 
camp -during a blockade with easily procurable medicinal 
plants, which are sufficient for almost every jjurpose. Nitrate 
and bi-carbonate of potash are most wanted, and with calomel 
may be procured from abroad. Our supply of opium can be 
easily reached by planting the poppy, and incising the capsules. 
Every planter could raise a full supply of opium, mustard and 
flaxseed. A tonic compound, as advised by the herbalists, is 
made with the bark of the root of dogwood, Colombo (Frasera,) 
poplar, each six ounces ; bark of Avild cherry, six ounces ; leaves 
of thoroughwort, four ounces; cayenne popper, four ounces — 
sifted and mixed. Dose, a teaspoonful, in warm or cold water, 
repeated. 

The berries of the dogwood have also been highly recom- 
mended — given as a remedy for fever in place of quinine (1862.) 

The wood is compact, heavy, fine grained and susceptible of a 
brilliant polish. It is used on our plantations wherever a hard 
wood is required, as in making wedges, the handles of light 
tools, mallets, plane stocks, harrow teeth, hames, horse collars, 
etc. Michaux states that the shoots, when three or four years 
old, are found proper for the light hoops of small portable casks. 
In the Middle States the cogs of mill wheels are made of dog- 
wood. The branches of the tree are disposed nearly in the 
form of crosses. N. A7n. sylva. Farmer's Encyc. I have used 
5 



m 

the dogwood for engraving. See " Amelanchier" in this vol- 
ume. 

Dr. Walker makes an excellent ink thus : Half an ounce of 
dogwood bark, forty grains of sulphate of iron, the same of 
gumarabic, in sixteen ounces of rain water. Prof Joseph 
Jones, of Georgia, has also used it with success. See So. Med. 
and Surg. J., September, 1861. , The Avood of the dogwood, like 
the willow, (see Salix,) is preferred in making gunpowder. 

EED WILLOW; SWAMP DOGWOOD, (Cornus sericea, 
Ph.) Elliott says it grows in the mountains of South Carolina ; 
sent to me from Abbeville District, by Mr. Eeed ; North Caro- 
lina. Fl. June. 

Griffith, Med. Bot. 349. It possesses properties quite similar 
to those of the C. Florida, but it is more bitter and astringent. 
Mr. E. informs me that it is employed to a great extent in do- 
mestic practice in Abbeville. According to B. S. Bai'ton, the 
bark was considered by the Indians a favorite combination with 
tobacco for smoking. The young shoots were used to make coarse 
baskets ; and they extracted a scarlet dye from these and the 
roots. 

BLOOD EED DOGWOOD, (Cornus sang uinea, Jj.) Grows, 
accoi'ding to Elliott, in the valleys among the mountains. Fl. 
May. 

Diet, de Med. de Ferus. ii, 737; Mathiole, Comment, ii, 119; 
Journal de Chim. xxxviii, 174, and xl, 107. See, also, Journal 
de Pharm. for an account of the oil extracted from it. M. Mu- 
rion says they afford one-third of their weight of a pure and 
limpid oil, used for the table and for burning. A case of hydro- 
phobia was said to have been cured by it. Griffith, Med. 
Bot. 349. There also exists in this, as in the others, a red color- 
ing principle, soluble in w^ater alone. 

Gornus stricta. Growls in swamps near Charleston; Newbern. 
Shec. Flora Carol. 44^. C. Circinata is not included by Chap- 
man among the Southern species, though Dr. Wood says that it 
grows in Virginia. See U. S. Disp. 

LOEANTHACE^. 

Bark usually astringent; berries contain a viscid matter; plants 
possess the power of rooting in the w^ood of others. 



67 

MISLETOE, ( Viscum verticillatum, L.) • The V. verticillatum of 
Ell. Sk. is not of that Linn. T. and Gray ; N. A. Flora. Dif- 
fused ; grown on oaks ; Newbern. Fl. May. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de Med. vi, 860 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 
50 ; Le. Mat. Med. ii, 456 ; Journal de Med. Ixx, 529 ; Eberle, 
Dis. of Children, 522. Dr. Bai'ham, in the Hortus Americanus, 
says that the fruit of the misletoe cures epilepsies, pleurisies, 
coup de soleil, etc. Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 556 ; employed in 
pai-alysis. Thorton's Fam. Herb. 333. Fothergill, Dr. Wilson 
and Gilbert Thompson use it "with great effect in epilepsy." So, 
also. Dr. Eraser, who published a work on it. Wade's PL Eari- 
ores, 82. Eberle, "Dis. of Children," alludes to its employment 
in infantile epilepsy. Some writers refer to the European species ; 
but this is supposed to be identical with it. The seeds contain a 
viscid substance resembling bird-lime in appearance, which is 
insoluble both in water and in alchohol. In Dr. Hunter's edition 
of Evelyn's Sylvia, it is said to prevent the rot in sheep. Bird- 
lime wJBs formerly made from the berries of the misletoe of oak, 
which were first boiled in water, then pounded, and the Avater 
poured off in order to carry away the seeds and rind. For pro- 
cess, see "Holly" (^Ilex opaca;) also, Wilson's Eural Gyc, "Bird- 
lime" and "Bird catching." 

MISLETOE, (Phoradendron flavescens, Nutt.; Viscum flaves- 
cens, Pursh.) This is the only specie included by Dr. Chapman 
in his Flora of the Southern United States. 

M. Gampert (Ann. de Therap. 1859, 36,) had reported a case in 
France in which a child three years old was poisoned by eating the 
berries of the misletoe. Vomiting and prostration were produced, 
the patient was insensible, with a fixed and somewhat contracted 
pupil, and coldness of the skin and convulsive movements of the 
extremities were present ; an emetic brought away a considera- 
ble quantity of the berries and the child recovered. Prof Wood, 
in reporting this in the U. S. Disp., 12th Ed., states that Dr. 
Henry Dye, of Texas, records (Memphis Med. Kecord, iv, 344,) 
several cases of children poisoned by eating the berries of a 
species growing on the elm, probably V. flavescens of Ph. The 
prominent symptoms were vomiting and great thirst, followed 
by frequent discharges of bloody mucus from the bowels, with 
tenesmus. One of the children was found in a collapsed state 
in which death took place. Dr. Dye states, also, that in another 



<>8 

instance, as he had been informed, children had eaten the ber- 
ries, without anj^ ill effect. 

CUCUEBITACE^. {The Gourd Tribe.) 

This order is closely allied to the Passifioracese, and is found 
in most abundance in hot countries. Most of them are valuable 
articles of food, but are pervaded by a bitter laxative quality, 
which in the colocynth gourd becomes an active purgative 
principle. 

WATEEMELOX, (Cucumis citrullus.) The juice of the melon 
by boiling may be converted into a palatable syrup for table use 
and one of the best substitutes for molasses. From recent ex- 
periments it has been found that about one pint is yielded by 
each melon, which may be profitably made during a period of 
great scarcity in the supply of sugar. No doubt, like the ripe 
fig, beet and other saccharine substances, it may easily be con- 
verted into vinegar, and should be added to the vinegar cask. 
It is well known that the juice is diuretic, and the seeds, by tri- 
turation, or by being boiled in water, afford a demulcent and 
diuretic drink, useful in incontinence of urine and in strangury. 
Almost the same may be said of the pumpkin, which is used as 
an article of food for man and beast in many of the Southern 
States. The harder portions of both melon and pumpkin are 
used in making preserves b}^ our Southern matrons, and brandy 
was made from the juice during the w^ar. The melon, the celery 
and the asj^aragus are said to yield mannite. 

PUMPKIIST, (Cucumis jyepo, W.) Cultivated very successfully 
at the South. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 488. The seeds afford an essential oil, 
which might be made of some value ; when triturated with 
water, they furnish a cooling and nutritive milk, and when 
boiled to a jelly, they are said by Bechstein to be a very effica- 
cious remedy for retention of urine. The fruit is much used on 
the plantations at the South as an article of food both for men 
and animals; pies and preserves of an agreeable flavor are made 
of it. See Stille's Mat. Med. and recent medical works for the 
singularly useful qualities of the seeds, as recently applied by 
Johnson, Soule, Jones and others, as a remedy for taj)e-worm. 
A paste is made from the seeds, in the quantity of about an ounce 



and a half with as much sugar. The dose of the seeds is about 
two ounces in emulsion, taken in the morning and followed by 
castor oil. Boston Med. and Surg. J., U. S. Disp. An oil of the 
seeds is also used. The fruit when dried is useful as a winter 
provision for armies. An excellent substitute may be found in 
the pumpkin, which when cut into slips and dried either in the 
sun or in a dry room, is said to be little inferior to dried ap- 
ples. The musk-melon (Cucumis melo} Siud cucumber (C sativus) 
are also largely cultivated at the South. 

GOUED ; CALABASH, (C?^cM?'iiYa lagenariajJj.^ Grows in 
cornfields and along fences; vicinity of Charleston; Eichland ; 
collected in St. John's. Fl. May. 

Linn. Yeg. Mat. Med. 180; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 563; Le. 
Mat. Med. i, 379 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 492. An 
infusion has been found useful in inflammation of the urinary 
passages, and the seeds have been employed in rheumatism, 
strangury and nephritis. Shec. Flora Carol. 479. " Water, 
which has lain for some time in the fruit of this plant, becomes 
violently emetic and cathartic." The shells of the dried fruit 
are sometimes so capacious as to contain four gallons of water ; 
convenient receptacles, water-flasks, dippers, milk pans, etc., are 
made of them. They must first be deprived of their acrid 
principle by boiling ; moulds for buttons are fashioned out of 
them, and they are much used for these purposes by the 
negroes on the plantations. The general reader will recall the 
" Calebassia Tree, " mentioned in "Paul and Virginia," hence 
the name given to this vine, no doubt by the negroes, from its 
resemblance to the tree, a native of the east coast of Africa. 

CEEEPING CUCUMBEE, {Melothria pendula, L.) Grows 
in rich, shaded soils ; collected in St. John's, Charleston Dis- 
trict. N. C. Fl. June. 

Journal de Chim. Med. iii, 498 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. 
Med. iv, 322 ; GriflSth, Med. Bot. 311. The seeds act as a drastic 
purgative — half a one is a dose for an adult. Martins states 
that three or four ^ will act powerfully on a horse. Journal de 
Chim., loc. cit. sup. 

CACTACE.E. {The Indian Fig Tribe.) 

Fruit very simihxr in its properties to that of the currant 
tribe ; often refreshing, sometimes mucilaginous and insipid. 



70 

CACTUS; PEICKLY PEAR, (Opuntia vulgaris, Mill. T. and 
Gray. Cactus opuntia of Ell. Sk.) Grows in dry pastures ; 
Newbern. Fl. Ma^. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 11. The fruit is said to 
be eatable ; the leaves cut transversely are applied to tumors 
as a discutient ; the decoction is mucilaginous, and I am in- 
formed that it is much used in Alabama as a demulcent drink 
in pneumonic and pleuritic inflammations. Its cultivation has 
been recommended on account of the cochineal insect, which is 
said to feed on it. Mr. Wm. Summer, of South Carolina, con- 
tributes the following to the list of our "expedients:" 

To Make Hard Tallow Candles. — To one pound of tallow 
take five or six leaves of the prickly pear, {Cactus opuntia,) split 
them, and boil in the tallow, without water, for half an hour or 
more ; strain and mould the candles. The wicks should have 
been previously dipped in spirits of turpentine and di-ied. If 
the tallow at first is boiled in water, and the water changed 
four or five times, it will be bleached and rendered free from 
impurities. Then prepare, by frying with prickly pears, to 
harden it. In this way we have made tallow candles nearly 
equal to the best adamantine. 

The prickly pear has been generally used (1862^ for hardening 
tallow, with satisfactory results. One pound is added to four of 
tallow ; a larger quantitj^ make the candles too brittle. It takes 
the place of wax. I have often seen candles which were made 
hard by this process, and it appears to be a singular property 
possessed by this plant — and equally singular how it was ever 
first applied for the purpose. 

COCHINEAL CACTUS, (Cactus cochinilifer.) Elliott says 
that it is probable that other species exist, but he does not in- 
clude this in his sketch of the Bot. of South Carolina. Shecut, 
however, in his Flora Carol. 319, remarks that "we are indebted 
to Dr. Garden, of South Carolina, for the discovery of this tree 
here," well known as the one upon which the cochineal insect 
feeds. T. and Gray do not include it in their N. A. Fl. The 
fruit tinges red the urine of those who eat it ; and the leaves 
rubbed up with hog's hird, are useful as a topical application to 
prevent mortification. 



CRUCIFBRiE. {The Cruciferous Tribe.) 

Lindley states that the universal characteristic of this order 
is the possession of anti-scorbutic and stimulant qualities, com- 
bined with an acrid flavor. The species contain a great deal of 
nitrogen, to which is attributed their animal odor when 
rotting. 

PEPPEEGRASS; VIRGINIA CRESS, {Lepidium Virgini- 
cum, L.) Wet places. JS.C. Common. 

It is suitable to be used in winter and early spring salads, but 
is far less in request than some of the other cresses. Sowings 
should be made in light, dry earth, the beds protected with dry 
litter during severe winter. Rural Cyc. 

GOLD OF PLEASURE ; FALSE FLAX, (Camelina sativa, 
Crantz.) Referred to in Chapman's Botany of Southern States, 
p. 30, as introduced, growing in cultivated fields. N. Hanover, 
N. C, Curtis. 

. Se6 a paper in P. O. Report on Agriculture, 1851, p. 51, on 
the *' Camelina sativa — a new oil plant." In some parts of the 
world it is cultivated for its stems, which yield a fibre applica- 
ble for spinning, and for its oleifcrous seeds. Merat says it is 
cultivated for this purpose in Flanders. 

Mr. Wm. Taylor, F. L. S., has recently drawn the attention 
of agriculturists and others to this as an oil plant, adapted for 
feeding cattle, and for other purposes. He says that the soil 
best adapted for its cultivation are those of a light nature, but 
a crop will never fail on land of the most inferior description. 
It has been found to flourish this year on sandy soils, where no 
other vegetable would grow, and independent of the drouth 
the plants have grown most luxuriantly, yielding a large and 
certain crop. When gx'own upon land that has been long in 
tillage and well farmed, the crop will be most abundant. The 
best time for putting in the seed is as early as possible in the 
spring months, say from the middle of March or the middle of 
April to June, and for autumn sowing to August; and the 
quantity per acre required, fourteen pounds ; and may be either 
drilled or broadcast, but the drilled method should be preferred. 
If drilled, the rows must b3 twelve inches apart. As soon as 
the plants have grown five or six inches high, a hand or horse 
hoe may be used to cut up the weeds between the rows, and no 



72 

further culture or expense will be required. If sown early, two 
crops may be frequently obtained in one year, as it is fit for 
harvesting in three months after the plant makes its first ap- 
pearance. Or another important advantage may be obtained : 
if seed is sown early in March, the crop will be ready to harvest 
in the beginning of July, and the land fallowed for wheat or 
spring corn ; also when barlc}^ or small seeds cannoi be sown 
sufficiently early, this may be put in with great success. It is a 
plant that may be cultivated after any corn crop, without doing 
the least injury to the land, and may be sown with all sorts of 
clover ; the leaves of the gold of pleasure, being particularly small, 
afford an uninterrupted growth to every plant beneath, it, and 
the crop being removed early, the clover has time to establish 
itself 

The grower of this invaluable production is in all seasons 
secure of his crop, inasmuch as it is not subject to damage by 
spring frosts, heavy rains, and drouth, and, above all, the 
ravages of insects, more particularly the cabbage plant louse, 
{Aphis bi'assica,) which so frequently destroys rape, turnips and 
others belonging to the cruciferse order, when coming into 
blossom. The seed is ripe as soon as the pods change from a 
green to a gold color. Care must then be taken to cut it off 
before it becomes too ripe, or much seed may be lost. AVhen cut 
with a sickle, it is bound up in sheaves and shocked in the same 
manner as wheat. The process of ripening completed, it is 
stacked or put in a barn, and threshed like other corn. The 
expense of these crops cannot be very great, either in the prep- 
aration and culture of the land or in the management in secur- 
ing the produce afterward ; but when grown with care and in 
good season, the produce will mostly be very abundant — as high 
as thirty-two bushels and upward to the acre. 

The cultivation of this plant for the seed would repay the 
farmer ; an abundance of chaff would be produced, which would 
be of infinite service for horses or for manure. In a grazing 
country like England, where vast sums are annually expended 
for foreign oil cake, the gold of pleasure will soon be found an 
excellent substitute under manufacture, and consequently a 
grower would find a good remuneration in cultivating the seed. 
The plant may be considered a valuable production of the earth. 
A fine oil is produced for burning in lamps, in the manufacture 



73 

of woollen goods, in the manufacture of soaps for lubricating 
machinery, and for painters. The oil cake has been found 
highly nutritious in the fattening of sheep and oxen, as it 
contains a great portion of mucilage and nitrogenous matter, 
which, combined together, are found very beneficial in de- 
veloping fat and lean. From the experiments above related, 
it is abundantly proved that it does not suffer from the severest 
frosts, its foliage not being injured. It is not infested by insects, 
nor does it exhaust the soil. 

The gold of pleasure has been cultivated by several practical 
agriculturalists, who highly approve of the new plant. For all 
these reasons it is hoped that every farmer will avail himself of 
this valuable discovery as a remunerating rotation crop. Mr. 
Taylor adds that one acre cultivated with these plants yield 
thirty-two bushels of seed; from which five hundred and forty 
pounds of oil are obtained ; so that the Camelina seems to ex- 
ceed the flax in its produce of seed, oil and cake per acre. The 
seed is extremely rich in nutriment. I know of no seed superior 
to it for feeding cattle. The oil obtained by expression is sweet 
and excellent, especially for purposes of illumination. From the 
very small quantity of inorganic matter in the seed, it will be 
evident that the seed cake must be of a very nutritious character, 
being merely the seed deprived of a portion of its water and 
oily matter. We have examined some of the oil obtained from 
the seed of the Camelina sativa, and which has been recently 
sent to several medical men by Mr. Taylor, under the belief that 
it possesses valuable medical properties. It is of a j'cUow color, 
and smells something like linseed oil. Finding it of service in 
relieving the incessant cough of an animal, Mr. Taylor has 
extended the use to the human subject, and states that it has 
cured several persons affected with diseased lungs and asthma. 

In a brief notice, P. O. Reports, 1850, is the following state- 
ment : " Camelina sativa, {Miagrum sativum,) an annual from 
France, produces a finer oil for burning than rape, having a 
brighter flame, less smoke and scarcely any smell. It succeeds 
well in light, shallow, dry soils ; and in our Middle and Southern 
States it would probably produce two crops in a season. Besides 
the use of the seeds for oil, the stems yield a coarse fibre for 
making sacks and a rough kind of packing paper, and the whole 



74 

plant may be employed for thatching. The culture is similar to 
that for flax." See " Linum " in this volume. 

GTn^-DTTT^'Tp-n'Q PTTT>«!T? 1 <^^pseUa Bursa-pastoris, Moench and 
SHEPHERD b r U KbE, ^ rj. ^^^^ q. Thlaspi. Linn, and Ell. Sk. 

Grows in damp pastures; collected in St. John's; Newbern, 
Fl. May. 

Ray's Cat. Plantarum, 47 ; Bergius, Mat. Med. ii, 389 ; Le. 
Mat. Med. i, 243 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 732. It 
astringes and constipates ; hence employed in dysentery, diarr- 
hoea and bloody urine ; the juice placed on a piece of cotton, 
and inserted in the nostril, will arrest hemorrhage. " Extern€ 
vulneribus solidandis adhibieter nee sine successu." PI. Scotica, 
342 ; Linn. Yeg. M. Med. 128. 

CRESS, (Sisymbrium nasturtium, L. and Ell. Sk.f^JSrysimum ol 
Bot.) Nat. in the upper part of South Carolina ; vicinity o; 
Charleston. Fl. March. 

Fl. Scotica, 351. The young leaves furnish an agreeable salad 
the plant was esteemed useful as an anti-scorbutic, and was em 
ployed in removing obstructions of the liver, viscera, jaundice 
etc. Thornton's Fam. Herb. 618. The juice acts as a stimulani 
and diuretic. Haller says : " We have seen patients in a deej 
decline cured by living almost entirely on these plants." Ac 
cording to Tournefort, the juice, snuffed up the nose, cured cases 
of polypus of that organ. See Edinburgh New Disp., Flon 
Med. iii, 138; Pliny, lib. xix, chap. 8 ; xx, chap. 13. Hoffman anc 
Cullen spoke highly of it as furnishing a mucilaginous applica 
tion for the heads of infants affected with eruptions. It was 
acknowledged to have an effect upon the maladies of the skin 
eno-orffcment of the abdominal viscera when the blood is de 
praved, in feeble digestion, etc. U. S. Disp. 1226. This plani 
is also vaunted in incipient phthsis, in chronic catarrhs, in mala 
dies of the bladder and kidneys, and in hysterical affections. I 
contains a very bitter and odoriferous essential oil — the seedi 
yielding fifty-five per cent, of fixed oil. See De Cand. Phys 
Veg. i, 298; Journal Gen. de Med. xxviii, 136; Barbier, M 
Med. 242. Moreau asserts that vertigq and discoloration o 
the face are produced in those eating this plant; but this is ai 
effect unnoticed by others. 



75 

HEDGE MTJSTAED, {Sisymbrium officinale, Fide Gray ; Ery- 
simum officinale, Lin. and Ell. Sk.) 

This is not included by Mr. Elliott in his Sketches of the 
Plants of South Carolina. It was one of the specimens sent to 
Professor Gray, and determined by him ; collected in St. John's 
Berkeley; Charleston District; North Carolina. The herb is 
said to be diuretic and expectorant ; the seeds possess consider- 
able pungency, and have been recommended in chronic cough, 
hoarseness and ulceration of the mouth and fauces; the juice 
of the plant in honey or the seeds in substance may be used. 

WATER RADISH, (Sisymbrium amphibium, L.) Rare ; roots 
immersed ; collected on causeway near Brunswick PI., T. W. 
Peyre's, in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de K. Med. vi, 365. Recommended for 
tape-worm by Didelot, and in the old works as an anti-scorbutic. 
Merat saj^s the "young leaves are eatable in the spring; proba- 
bly possessed of similar properties with the S. nasturtium." 

WATER CRESS, {Nasturtium officinale, R. Br.) Introduced. 
Ditches Florida, and northward. Chap. N. C. 

This plant came into pretty high favor about a century ago 
as a spring salad ; and it soon obtained preference to all other 
spring salads on account of its agreeable, warm, bitter taste, 
and for the sake of its purifying, anti-scorbutic and diuretic 
properties. It was greedily gathered in all its natural habitats 
within some miles of London for the supply of the London mar- 
ket, and eventually became an object of regular, peculiar and 
somewhat extensive cultivation ; see methods, etc., Wilson's 
Rural CyclopsBdia. 

MUSTARD, {Sinapis nigra.') Cultivated throughout the South. 
Therapeutic virtues well known. 

Mustard is a hardy annual, cultivated as a small salad for 
greens, and for the seed, which are extensively employed for 
medicinal purposes. The demand for the production of this 
plant, on account of the value of seeds as a local irritant, should 
induce every planter and farmer to grow it. Enormous quanti- 
ties are required to supply armies; besides that, it is largely 
consumed in every household. The white mustard I have seen 
cultivated on our plantations, and, maturing early in June, is 
fully equal in strength to the imported article. It is very easily 
ground or powdered, and used like English mustard. 



Tlio coinmoii laMc niuslurd in prc^psirod IVoni t.ho flour of (ho 
Hoi'd. Voy Hiihid, it is howm (liicUly, :iiid iiS(>d liUci comnvon crosH. 
"S()\V(>Hrly ill (lio Hjiriiiii; in two foot drills, ;iiid tliiii to six 
iiiclmM. Tlio (T'))) must ho u^iuthorod holbro it is I'ully rijio, on a 
cloudy day or c^arly in tho nioniinir, to provont tlio Hood f'roiu 
sliolliiii;- out." 

Tho "wliito" is usually ^iroforrod for salad, and tho soods aro 
i^atoii \viioh> as a roiiuMly for iiupaircMl dii;;ostion. Tho loaves of 
lliis aro liifht <i;rooii, mihl and tondor when younj^; tlio sood 
lii:;lit yollow. Tho "hhudv" or "lirown" is u lari!;or ])laiit, with 
juuoh darkor loavos. "Soods brown, aiui nioro pun^ont." 

For (h(^ nuxlical usos of thoso plants, any of tho works on 
tlio nuitoria niodica will supply inlbrniation under tl»o head 
" Sinapis." 

Mustard sood oil, says Uro, in his Dicl. Arts and Scionoos, p. 
1^85, ('oncrotos wlioii coolod a littU^ holow l{2° i^'ahronhoit. Tho 
white or y^^llo\v si>od allbrd thirty six pi'r cent, ol' oil, and tlio 
hhiciv S(^(>d oii;htooii per ooiit. 

Tho reader iiitiM'osli'd in (li(> cull uro of mustard can tiiid some 
information in Wilson's liural Cyo. llo quotes ft'om a prize 
essay by T. C. Hurroii^hes in 7th volume Royal Ag. Soc. Tho 
field culture of both the white and black mustard is practiced 
for the production of their seeds, with a view either to the ex- 
pression of oil from them similar to that of colo and ra]H> and 
])oppy, or lo tlu> obtaininj^ of oil cake for tho uso of cattle, or to 
tlu^ ifriiidiiii;; Ihoin into tho well known eondinuMilal and medi- 
cinal Hour of mustard, or to several other economical and 
liharmaceutical purposes. The crop is roapi^d, and tied in 
sheaves like wheat, and is afterward throHhed out u|)on cloths 
in tlu> liold in the same manner as (U)le. AVhito mustard is gen- 
erally laid in handfiils on the shuttle, and not tied up. The 
black mustard is hardier than tho white. Tho quantity of oil 
obtained from any given weight of black mustard seeds is 
greater than that obtained from tho sanio woight of coles; but 
the oil cake is slightly purgative, and requires to bo given to 
cattle witJi caution, and is commonly ground and sprinkled on 
their chalV. Wilson also stales that the Uour of mustard from 
tho sec>ds of black mustard, is much more ])ungont, and of much 
liner (iiiality than that from the seeds of wliite mustard. It is 
slill thi> kind most commonly used in l^'ranco ; but it rocpiiros to 



bo manufactui'od by a nice mechanical procoHH of removing tlio 
outer skinH ol" the hcihIh, or cIho it han a irrayiHli or very (hii'k 
coh)r ; and, in fact., it is nevt^r ho prepared as to he (entirely 
freed from its <;rayiHhneHH. The Hour of vvhit(5 miiHtard in gen- 
erally used in Britain in consoquonce of itH fine coloi', and the 
superior facility of manufacturing it. It in often mixed with 
the black. Jiural Cyc. The method of depriving the black 
mimtard need of its envelop I have be(>n unahli) to ohlaiii. 

Warm water is always the best addition to mustard to elicit 
the volatile oil. Vinegar lessens its pungency. See 'l^ruusHcau's 
Experinuuits. Mustard has been highly recommended as a Hub- 
Htitute for the spring colza and otlmr ])lants, to be used in the 
]>roduction of oil. "Both spe(M(!S," white and black, yield oil, 
Thaiir says in his J*rinc!i[)les of Agriculture, " which is well 
adapted tor l>urning; and also, when well ))urifiod, for tI»o use 
of the table. A (piintal of iriUHtard sood yields from thirty-six 
to thirty-eight pounds of oil. The l)iting acridity of the sec([ 
existffnot in the oil, but in the integument; and the English 
mustard, which is celebrated for its strength, is said to be made 
from cakes from which the oil has ]h\o,u expressed." Among 
the plants mentioned by Tluusr as valuabh; for tlie oil in their 
se(Ml, ai'o the oily radish, { /iaphanus chinensis oteiferus,) the sun- 
tlower, and the common ]H)\)])y, (I'djutvir n()mnij);rum ;) the oil 
from the white-seedi!(l variety is ])rel'erable on ac(!Ount of its 
taste. See Thaiir also for descriptions of the cultivation of 
flaxseed, hemp, hoj)s, madder, beets, etc. Many plants, the 
seeds of which yield oil, are used in making oil (;ake for agri- 
cultural purposes, and as food for animals. The sunflower, 
which yields a large quantity of soiid to the acre, will, it is waid, 
furnish one galhm of oil to the bushel. Soo "Cotton," " hMax," 
etc., in this volunu!. 

1 obtain the following, on the; (Mdtivation of mustai'd, from 
the P^armors' Cyclopcjudia: 

The species oi' si/uipis, generally grown in the kitchen gard(ui 
for domestic purposes, an; th(! wiiite mustard, (>S'. (iUmi,) and the 
common or black mustard, (iS. ni(jr<i.) The first is the one 
grown for salads; but the seed of both is emj)loyed in the 
manufacture of mustard. 

The soil tliey succeed in best, is a fine, rich, mouldy loam, in 
which tlio supply of moisture is regular; it may much rather 



7K 

irKilino to li^httutHH tlmn toiiaoity. Jf grown for Riilading, it 
iKU'.d not 1)0 (lug (1(U))> ; hut if for HOod, to full tlio (h^ptli of tlio 
Madcwjf ihc H|)a(l<^ Id early wpriiig and lato in uutunm, tho 
HJtuatioii HJiodid \)v Hluiltorcd ; and, during tlio height of Hum- 
niiir, Hliad(!d from tho moridian nun. Por Halading, tho white 
may l)o Hown throughout tho year; from tho hegiiining of No- 
vomhor to l.ho Hamo |)(M'io(i in March, in a g(intlo hot-l)od appro- 
priated for tlie pllr•p()H(^, in one ali'oady employed for Homo othor 
plant, or in the crornor of a Htove. I^'rom the closo of Kehruary 
to tho oloHo of April, it may ho Hown in tlui opcMi ground, on a 
warm Hholtorod border; and from thonee to tln! middle ol Sep- 
tcunher in a whady one. lioth tlu» white and the hhu^k, for Hoc^d, 
may ho Hown at tho (doHo of Mandi, in an open c.ompartmont. 

Kor Halading, it in howii in (hit-hottomcul drillH, about half un 
iiudi (loop and nix iiHihoH a|)art. Tho H(ted cannot well bo HOwn 
too thi(d{. Tho mould whi(di eovorn tho drillH nhould bo entirely 
divoHtod of HtonoH. Water munt b^ given oocaHionally in dry 
weather, an a duo nupply of moisturo in tho chief indu(!omont 
to a (piick vegetation. The Kowings ai"e to he performed onco 
or twice in a fortnight, according t.o tho demand. (/roHH ( //rpi- 
dium s(ttivnin) in the* almost conslant ac(-ompaniment of thin 
Halad Ikm'I) ; and, an tlu^ mod(M)f cultivation of v'M'\\ is idiMitical, 
it in only nec(^HHary to remark, that, as cri^Hs is rat Imm* tardier in 
vegetating than mustard, it, is necessary for ohtaijiing them 
both in jxtrl'ect.ion at the same tinu* to sow it live or six days 
earlier. 

Itmustlxi cut foi" use whil(» young, and befort^ the rough 
leavoH ap])oar, otherwise the pungency of the llavor is disa- 
greeably irKMHiased. if tho top is cut olV, the plants will, in 
gen(<ral, shoot again ; though this second produce is alwayn 
scanty, and not so mild or ttiiider. Kor the ])rodu(rtion of sood, 
wlu^th(M• for manu(iictui-e of mustard or future sowing, tho 
ins(M'tion must be nnide broadcast, thin, and I'ogularly ralfod in. 
When l-ho seedlings have attained foui- leavcis, tlu^y shoidd bo 
hoed, and again alt(^r tin* lapses of a month, during dry wiMither, 
boing Hot eight or nine incheH apai't. 'i'hroughout. tlu^r gi'owth, 
tlu^y must be kept free Irom wo(mIs; ami if dry weather occuirs at 
th(^ time of (lowcM'ing, water may be appliecl with great advan- 
tage to their roots. The plants (lower in June, and are lit for 
(cutting when their pods bavt' become devoid of voJ'duro. 4Muiy 



7!> 

muHl 1)0 thorou/^hly driod bclbro throHhiii<^ and Htorin*^. For 
forcing, tlio sood is moHt convoniontly Hown in boxow or |)an8, 
ovon \i' u lio(-l)(id iH upitropriatcd Cor iiic |)iir|)oHO. I'aiiH of 
rolUui Ian arii to Ixi prcfcrfod to j)otH or box^H ol mould, lint, 
wliic-liovcsr in (Un|>loy(Ml, liio sriid iiiiihI. \h\ Hown tliicU, and other 
rcHtrictiotiH attended to, aH lor tho oj)on ^i-ound (tropH. Tho 
hot-l)c'(i n(H«d only Ix; inod«>rato. Air may bo admittod as abund- 
antly aH (iiri;umstan(!(!H will allow. 

CAV\*A\UDACh]M. (The Caper Trihc.) 

CAPJili TIIKIO, ((!app<(.ris ^Spinom.) This phmt, (•Mltivat(^d in 
Grooco,thc Ionian IhIoh, Franco, Italy, etc., bus also boon intro- 
du(!cd into thin country. Tho flowor IhuIh are colbuded and put 
into Halt and vinegar. See I'atont Offico ileport, 1855, j». Ii85, 
for a brief noti(!0 of tho cultivation and preparation, in tho 
Southern StatoH wo havo tlio C. Jcnnaicencis, hu-y, and 6'. ajno' 
phallopl^ra, L., growing in Houth Florida. It Ih poHHiblo that 
they may be uH(Mi an Hul)stituteH for the foreign caper. 

VIOLACE.T^]. {The Violet Tribe.) 

Roots more or less emetic; a j)r()|)erty vvbicii prevails to a 
greater extent in the South American Hpecien, whi(!h are genor- 
aily loHH lierbac(!ouH. 

VIOLKT, {Viola pedafa, Mich.) Found in the u|»per din- 
trictH ; Hparingly in tlu; lower; liichland, li. (Jibbes. N. C Fl. 
May. 

U. S. I)iH|). 75:{; (iriflitb, Med. Hot. MO. The roots of nearly 
all the H])eci(!H of thin giMius jjokhoss a nuli'itive aiwl an emc^tic 
])rinciplo, called violine, allied to that ol' ipecacuanha, but more 
uncertain in its operation. This is said to ro])laco tho European 
])lant, and, according to Dr. Higelow, is valuabh* as an exi)ecto- 
rant and demulcent in pectoral allections. 

FIELD VIOLET, (Viola arveyisis, \). C.) 

Urinith, Med. Hot. 141. This and the V tricolor, of which it 
is a variety, liavo rocoivod considei-able attcuition from Euro- 
])ean writers, especially tho Gorman. Strack made tliom the 
subject of a diHcussion in 1770, and since tlu^n the obsiu'vations 
of Metzer, Cloiiuet and others iiave shown that tlioy are j)os- 



80 

sessed of much efficacy in the treatment of cutaneous diseases, 
and especially of that obstinate and unpleasant eruption, crustea 
lactea. The fresh plant, or its juice, is to be used, as drying 
destroys its active qualities. Strack states that, when the 
remedy has been given for some time, the urine becomes ex- 
tremely fetid, smelling like that of the cat ; op. cit. supra. At^ 
tention is invited to it. See V. tricolor. 

WILD PANSY, HEARTSEASE, (^Viola tricolor, Linn.) Cul- 
tivated in gardens. N. C. Fl. May. 

Trous. et Pid. Traite de Thcrap. et de Mat. Med. ii, 15 ; U. S. 
Dis. 743 ; Le Mat. Med. ii, 453 ; Griffith 40 ; Thornton's Fam. 
Herb, 731. It was formerly considered a valuable remedy in 
epilepsy, ulcers and scirrhus. See Storck de V. tricolor, Er- 
lang. 1782. Metzer do crustea lactea infantum, ejusdem que 
remedio pra)mio coronavit. 1776. Lond. Med. Journal. A 
handful of the fresh, or one ounce and a half of the dried herb, 
was boiled in milk, which was taken twice a day ; bread soaked 
in this was also applied to the affected parts. It was much 
boasted of as a remed}- in the latter disease ; see Mer. and de 
L. and the Art. V. arvensis. Bergius, speaking of these two, 
says that half an ounce in twelve of water produces a consistent 
and valuable demulcent jelly. 

HAND-LEAVED VIOLET, ( Viola palmata, Linn.) Collected 
in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; Newborn. Fl. March. 

Ell. Bpt. 300, Med. Notes. The plant is very mucilaginous. 
It is employed by negroes for making soup, and is commonly 
called wild okra. The bruised leaves are^^ used as an emollient 
application. 

COMMON BLUE VIOLET, ( Viola cucullata, Ait.) Grows 
in damp pine lands; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charles- 
ton. N. C. Fl. May. 

This plant has been used for making soup during war times. 
To it may be added the wild okra, the dock and the lamb's 
quarter. 

Le. Mat. Med. i, 223. Probably possessed of similar proper- 
ties with the others ; a decoction is given to children in eruptive 
diseases. These plants might very conveniently be used in 
domestic practice, and I would invite attention to their further 
employment. 



81 
CYSTACE/E. {Rock Rose Family.) 

FROST WORT; FROST WEED OR ROSE, (Helianthemum 
canadense, Mx.) Fla. and N. C, and northward. 

Dr. Ives, of N. Haven, first recommended it in scrofula, and 
Dr. Isaac Parrish, of Philada., informed Dr. Wood that he had 
used it with much apparent benefit as an internal remedy in 
scrofulous affections of the eye. In a pamphlet upon the Fi'Ost- 
weed by Dr. D. Tyler, published at N. Haven, 1846, it is stated 
that Ji. corymbosum possesses similar properties. He found 
both species useful in scrofula, diarrlxjea and secondary syphilis, 
and locally as a gargle in scarlatina, and a wash in prurigo. 
The plant has been used in the forms of powder, decoction, 
tincture and syrup; and may be given freely with impunity. 
Dr. Tyler, however, has known tlie strong decoction and the 
extract to produce vomiting. He considers two grains of the 
lattqj: as a full dose for an adult. The herb has an asti'ingent, 
slightly aromatic and bitterish taste, and appears to possess 
tonic and astringent properties. Dr. Wood says that attention 
has only been attracted recently to it as a medicine. U. S. 
Disp., 12th Ed. 

Dr. Parrish, in his Pract. Pharmacy, p. 231, furnishes a syrup 
of this plant which he says was much used by Dr. Isaac Par- 
rish in scrofulous affections of the eyes, and by others in 
diseases of the scrofulous type. Four ounces of the herb, 
sixteen ounces of sugar are boiled down with alcohol and water, 
till the liquid is reduced one-half; given in doses of a fluid 
drachm three times a day. 

DROSERACE^. (The Sim Dew Tribe.) 

Plants generally slightly acid ; acrid and poisonous to cattle. 

SUN DEW, {Drosera rotundifolia, Linn.) Grows in damp 
spots in the low country of South Carolina; Richland; col- 
lected in St. John's ; Newbern. Fl. June. 

Bull. Plantes Ven de France. Vicat mentions it as an active 
and corrosive plant ; the liquor which exudes from the hairs 
destroying warts, corns, etc. Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, 334. M. 
Geoffroi asserts that it is a valuable pectoral, employed in ulcers 
of the lungs, asthma, etc.; the infusion being generally used. 
The juice has been recommended in dropsies, diseases of the 
G 



H2 

kidneys, ophthalmins, etc. Mer. and dc L. Diet, do M. Mod. ii, 
()i>(). Shoe, in liiH Flora ('arol. 519, eonfirniB the opinion in 
rotoroncc to tho corrosive ])roporty of tlio juice, and adds that, 
witli milk, it iurnislioH a safe a])plication for roniovin<^ Ireckles; 
any part of it will curdle milk. Kl. Scotica, 109. It is thought 
to be very injurious to sheep, |)roducing in them consumption 
or rot. M. Herlace alHrnis (Es([uiss. Hist. Bot. Aug.) that cattle 
avoid it on account of an insect (Hydra hydatula) which leeds 
on it. This plant is quite diminutive, and lias heretofore 
received voiy little attention. I see no mention made of it in 
our Am. Dispensatories. 

PASSIFL0EACE7R. (The Passion Flower Tribe.) 

MAY APPLKS ; MAY POPS; PASSION FLOWERS, {Passi- 
Jiora liitca and incarnata, L,) (jirovvs in ])astures, passim. 

Tlu^ IVuit of these beautiful clinibing plants, which should not 
be confounded with the wild Jalaj), {I^odopkijUuin,) sometimes 
calK'd may ap[)le and growing in rich woods, contains a sweetish, 
acid pill]), and is eatable. Several of tho species are employed 
in medicine; but these have received no attention, being more 
remarkable on account of tho structure of their flowers. One 
is quite diminutive. In some jDortions of South Carolina tho 
wood is used as greens and for making soup. 

In a paper in Richmond M. Journal, for July, 1867, Dr. I). L. 
Pharos, of Newtonia, Miss., n^-ommends the May jiop very 
highly as a remedy for tetanus. He states that in 1838, Dr. \V. B. 
Jiindsay, of La., had directed his attention to it, and tliat "he 
used it for thirty years with oxti'aordinary success in all cases 
of tetanus neonatorum." Dr. L. says it never stupefies, l)ut is 
serviceable in "all sorts of neuralgic affections. " He also em- 
])loys tho aqueous extract of the root as an application for 
chancres, in irritable piles, for erysipelas and recent l)urns. 
The eulogy is couched in rather extravagant tox-ms. 

Tho author directs that tho loaves should bo gathered in May, 
or before forming fruit ; it is pounded and tho juice expressed 
through a strong cloth into shallow glass or porcelain dishes to 
dry as rapidly as possible in tho shade. When dry it is reduced 
to powdor in a mortar, bottled and closely corked. The dose 
of this powder is from one to four teaspoonsful, re])eated. F'or 
external use, the Avhole plant, including the root, may bo boiled 



8:{ 

Ibr an hour, llic oxti-Jict tliUH oUtuiiicd l)oin«^ rurthor l)oiU'(l down 
to u proper consistonco. 

1 may add tliat (Jriltith, in liis Mod. Hot., roCerH to tlio edihlo 
fruit ol" tho P. (/luiilnimjularis, or (jranadilla, and in speaking 
of the foroiji^n HpocioH ho says: "In a niodical point of view, 
thoy ai'o alwo of Homo interest, being poHHosHod of active (piali- 
tioH capable of fuHlling a variety of indications, though it should 
he noticed that our information in regard to them in iar from 
definite, 'fhe onl}' memoir on the subject, dosorving of notice, 
is that of Dr. liicord Madiana (Journ. do Pharm. xvi, and Ann. 
Lye. Nat. Hist. 1,) on the P. (juadratuj. ; a decoction of the root 
of this he found to be poisonous, acting like a narcotic; he dis- 
covored in it a jx'culiar principle whicdi he aeWn passijiorine." 
Brown, in his Hist, of Jamaica, says a tin(^ture of the flowers 
of the P. nihra is used as a substitute for laudanum. 1Mie 
experience, therefore, of Dr. Pharos, with roforonce to our spe- 
cies, sTiould encourage others to test tluur value. 

IIYPKUICACK.K. (The Tatmn Trlhc.) 

The juice of many of the spe(!ics is sliglitly ])urgtttivc and 
febrifugal. 

S4\ J'KTEJi'S-AVOirr, {^/''linm. CruxAndrerv^, VV. 
' ) A Key nan nmuicanu'., Mx. 

Collected in j)ine land soils ; St. Jidm's; vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; Newborn. Fl. July. 

The infusion of the bruised i-oot and branches of this ])lant 
was used by an Indian with success in the case of a female, 
under my observation, with an ulcerated breast, which had re- 
sisted all <)th(!r att(^mj)ts at relief. I have since seen it employed 
with entire satistiu^tion on the person of an infimt, having a 
painful enlargement of the sub-maxillary gland. No further 
op]»ortunity has boon afforded of ascertaining its properties 
with certainty; but it seems to be possessed of some ])Ower as 
a resolvent in discussing tumors, and reducing glandular en- 
largements; given internally and applied to])ically. The taste 
is somewhat acrid. 1 wtnild invite further examination. Soe 
Jlj/pericum perforatum. 

ST. TOTTN'S-WORT, (JLipcricum perforatum., L.) Sparingly 
naturalized in tho Southern States. S. and N. C. 



84 

It was gi'eatly in vogue at one time, and was thought to 
cure demoniacs. The decoction -svas also given in hysteria and 
suppressed menstruation. Thornton's Family Herbal, 67. The 
coloring matter gives a good dye to wool. 

The plant called St. John's- wort, which I think is Ascyrum 
cnixandrece, growing abundantly throughout our country, is 
pojjularly regarded as of great value, bruised and applied in 
the healing of wounds, and as a discutient. I have known a 
decoction of the whole plant used successfully as a local appli- 
cation in prurigo and in "camp itch," lamp oil being also 
applied alternately with it. I have used it with great satisfac- 
tion (1868) without the oil. 

Wilson states that its leaves and flowers are strongly resini- 
ferous or oleiferous, and emit a powerful odor when rubbed ; it 
bleeds under very slight compression or wounding, and imparts 
a blood-red color to any spirituous or oleaginous substance with 
which it is mixed, and was formerly supposed to possess the 
power of healing wounds, bruises and contusions. It is the 
Fuga Dcemonium, he adds, of old herbalists, and was held to 
influence conjurations and enchantments. It yields a good 
yellow dye to woven fabrics, from its flowers, and a good red 
dye from its leaves. The juice of the hypericums are often 
exceedingly similar to gamboge. Eural Cyc. The plant has a 
resinous odor, and Dr. Darlington says is believed to produce 
troublesome sores on horses and horned cattle, especially those 
which have white feet and noses. The dew which collects on 
the plant aj^pears to become acrid. Flora Cest. Farmers' 
Encyc. I found the same impression prevailing in Powhattan 
County, Va. There it is known to cause blindness in horses 
and troublesome sores on the legs, particularly in white horses 
with delicate skins. Dr. John Harvie, of Va., informs me that 
five of his w^ere made blind by this plant in one season They 
sometimes recover. The plant proves injurious b}' being eaten 
with hay, and it gets in contact with the skin or the eye when 
the animal is browsing. See Ascyrum cnixandrece. I find that 
Griffith also, in speaking of H. perforatum, says that it is ob- 
served to exercise " an injurious eff'ect on cattle by inflaming 
the skin wherever the skin is white, but he is inclined to attri- 
bute this to a species of Euphorbia growing with it." This 
opinion was entertained by some persons in Virginia. The ear- 



85 

lier writers attributed to tlie St. John's-wort great virtues as a 
febrifuge and anthehnintic. Id this country, adds Dr. Griffith, 
" it is only used to make an oil or ointment, which is said to be 
an excellent application in ulcers, the reduction of tumors, etc.; 
and from some trials with it, we are disposed to think favorably 
of it. It is made by infusing the flowers in oil or lard until 
these substances are tinged of a red color. The first of these 
preparations, though perfectly fluid at first, has a tendency to 
solidify when kept." It is observed by Cullen, in his Mat. JVIed. 
173, " we should not be so audacious as to neglect it, for by the 
sensible qualities it appears active," "and there are manj^ well 
vouched testimonies of its virtues, particulai'ly of its diuretic 
pcnvers." Blair, in Am. Jour. Phar. ii, 23, says its active con- 
stituents appear to be an acrid, resinous substance in the whole 
plant, a red oil furnished by the glands on the petals and some 
tannin. A tincture of the flowers and leaves are used in stom- 
ach complaints. M. Dussauco, in his Treatise on Tanning, 1867, 
says tjiat the flowers and flower tops may be used for tanning 
leather. 

PI:N^E WEED; ORANGE GKASS, {Hypericum sarothrn, 
Mich,, T. and G. Sarothra gentiajioides Linn, and Ell. Sk.) 
Grows in dry pastures; collected in St. John's; vicinity of 
Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Mer and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 226 ; Journal de Med. Ixxx, 
360. It is employed as an aperient in inflammatory affec- 
tions. 

ACEEACE.E. (The Sycamore Tribe.)' 

RED MAPLE, (Ace)- rubrum, Linn.) Diffused. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 80. The wood is much used in the manu- 
facture of Windsor chairs, gun-stocks, etc. ; the grain is some- 
times beautifully curled. In a communication received from J. 
Douglass, M. D., of Chester District, S. C, his correspondent, 
Mr. McKeown, states that the counti-y people consider a strong 
decoction of the bark, with white sugar, used as a wash, a safe 
and certain cure for ordinary ophthalmia. Some of the inhabi- 
tants of the Western States make sugar by boiling down the 
sap of the white maple, which, however, like that of the red 
maple, yields only half the proportion of sugar obtained from 
the juice of the sugar maple. Farmers Encyc. 



86 

M. DuHHiiuco ill liiH " Complete Treatise on the art of Tan- 
ning, " etc., 1867, Htates that the nap or juices of 'maple, beech 
and oak " furnish tannin. 

SUGAR MAPLE, {Acer saccharinum, Linn.) Var. Florida- 
mtm, found in Houtli Florida. Chap. Dittusod, but more abund- 
ant in the upper districts ; found sparingly at the head waters 
of Cooper Eivor, St. John's, JJerkeley ; Newbern, N. C. Fl. 
Feb. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 90. Pure flake manna has been dis(!ovored 
in this species. Sugar extracted from it is an article of trade; 
it is employed medicinally also. The wood is esteemed in the 
manufacture of saddle-trees. The grain of the wood is fine and 
close, and when polished it has a silky lustre. 

The timber of old trees is extensively used in, America for 
inlaying mahogany, and it possesses, in an eminent degree, the 
same kind of bird's-eye markings which distinguish the timber 
of the Norway ma|)le. The wood is heavy and strong, but not 
durable. The ashes are very rich in alkaline matter, and fur- 
nish a large proportion of the potash which is imported to 
Europe from New York and Boston, llural Cyc. I have seen 
the sugar maple boxed as low down as Middle Virginia, but 
have never heard of any sugar being made from the tree in 
States south of Virginia. Maple and sweet gum barks, with 
copperas, will dye a purple color; maple, red oak bark and cop- 
peras to fix it, will dye dove color ; niajile, with bark of black 
walnut, (Juglans nigra^) gives a brown color ; sweet gum, with 
copperas, yields a color nearly black. See, also, " Quercus, " 
'^ Ilopea," etc.' See Boussingault's Treatise, " Eural Economy, 
in its Relation to Chemistiy, Ph^'sics, " etc., p. 125, for valua- 
ble instruction on cultivation, production, etc., of sugjw from 
maple, beet, etc. ; also, Ure's Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures 
and Mines, article "Sugar, beet," etc. Wilson, in his Rural 
Cyc, article "Acer, " which the reader may consult, states that 
the sap of the maple also contains ammonia, and has, there- 
fore, all the conditions for forming the nigrogenous components 
of the branches, leaves and blossoms ; and in proportion as 
these parts of the tree are developed, it gradually loses its am- 
monia, and when they are completely formed it ceases to flow. 
Rural Cyc. Liebig discovered that ammonia was emitted from 
this juice when mixed with lime. The sugar crystalized spon- 



87 

taiiooiisly. The Amoricnii practice with the sui>;ar maple iw to 
boro two augor holes, threo-tbiii'tha of an inch in diamotor, and 
half an inch deeper than the bark, in an obliquely ascendinjij 
direction, on the south side of the tree, at the height of about 
eii;-hteen or twenty inches from the ii-ronnd, in February or 
JNlarch, while the snow is on the ground, and the cold is still in- 
tense, and to insert into the holes elder or sumac tubes, partial- 
ly laid open, eight or ten inches in length anil three-fourths of 
an inch in dianu^ter, conimunicating at the U>wer end M'ith 
troughs of two or three gallons in capacity, for the reception 
of the sap. b\)ur gallons are usually sutticient to yield ono 
pound of sugar; aiul eight to sixteen gallons are usually ob" 
tainetl in a season from a single tree — this nuist depend u]>on 
the locality. Op. cif. I insert the following from the Farmer's 
Encve. : 

"In a central situation, lying convenient tt) the trees from 
whii'h the sap is drawn, a shed i» constructed, called a sugar- 
camprwhich is destined to shelter the boilers and the ])er'<ons 
who tend them from the weather. An auger, three-fourths of 
an inch in diameter, small trough to receive the sap, tubes of 
elder or sumac, eight or ten inches long, corresponding in size 
to the auger, and laid open ibr a part of their length, buckets 
tor emptying the troughs and conveying the sap to the camp, 
boilers of titleen or eighteen gallons capacity, moulds to receive 
the syrup when reduced to a proper consistency for being form- 
oil into cakes, and, lastly, axes to cut and sj)lit the fuel, are the 
princij)al utensils employed in the operation. The trees are 
perforated in an obliipiely ascending direction, eighteen or 
twenty inches from the groutid, with two holes four or five 
inches apart. Care should be taken that the augers do not 
enter more than half an inch within the wood, as experience 
has shown the most abundant tlow of sap to take place at this 
depth. It is also recommended to insert the tubes on the south 
side of the tree; but this useful hint is not always attended to. 

"A trough is placed on the ground at the foot of each tree, 
and the saj) is every day collected and tem]K)rarily poured into 
casks, from which it is drawn out to till the boilers. The evapo- 
ration is kept up by a brisk tire, and the scum is carefully taken 
off during this ])art. of th*> ]>rocess. Fresh sap is adiled from 
time to time, and the heat is maintained till the liquid is re- 



88 

ducod to a syrup, after which it is left to cool, and thoi\ strained 
thi*ough a bhviiket, or other woollen stutY, to separate the re- 
maining impurities. 

" Some persons recommend leaving the syrup twelve hour.-* 
before boiling it for the last time ; others proceed with it im- 
mediately. In either case the boilers are only half filled, and 
by an active, steady heat the liquor is rapidly reduced to the 
proper consistency for being poured into the moulds. The evap- 
oration is known to have proceeded far enough when, upon rub- 
bing a drop of the syrup between the fingers, it is perceived to 
be granular. If it is in danger of boiling over, a bit of lard or 
of butter is thrown into it, which instantly calms the ebulli- 
tion. The molasses being drained off from the moulds, the 
sugar is no longer deliquescent, like the raw sugar of the West 
Indies. 

"Maple sugar manufactured in this way is lighter colored, in 
proportion to the care with which it is made, and the Judgment 
with which the evaporation is conducted. It is superior to the 
brown sugar of the colonies, at least to such as is generally 
used in the United States; its tasto is as pleasant, and it is as 
good for culinary purposes. When refined, it equals in beauty 
the finest sugar consumed in Kurope. It is made use of, how- 
ever, only in the districts where it is made, and there only in 
the countiy ; from prejudice or taste, imported sugar is used in 
all the small towns and in the inns. 

"The sap continues to tlow for six weeks; after which it be- 
comes less abundant, less rich in saccharine matter, and some- 
times even incapable of crvstalization. In this case it is con- 
sumed in the state of molasses, which is superior to that of the 
islands. At\er three or four days exposure to the sun, maplo 
sap is converted into vinegar, by the acetous fermentation. 
The amount of sugar manufactured in a year varies from dif- 
ferent causes. A cold and dry winter renders the trees more 
productive than a changeable and huniid season. It is observed 
that Avhen a frosty night is followed by a dry and brilliant day 
the sap fiows abundantly ; and two or three gallons are some- 
times yielded by a single tree in twenty-four hours. Three 
persons are found sufficient to tend two hundred and fifYy trees, 
which give one thousand pounds of sugar, or four pounds from 
each tree. But this product is not uniform, for n\any farmers 



89 

on (luj Oliio do not (;o!iurioiily oMuiii inoi-o tluiii two ])Ound8 
iVoin a truo. TreoH which grow in low and moint 2)laceH afford 
a greater (juaiility of nap than thoHc wliich occupy riHiiig 
grouiid.s, 1)11 1 it is li-ss ri(;h in tho saccharino principle. That of 
inHulat(!<l trcoH, left Htaii(liTig in tho middle of HoldH or hy the 
Hide oi'fcnceH, iH tho hcHt. It in alwo remarked that, in diHtrictn 
wlii(di have been cleared ol' other trooH, and ov(mi of tho less 
vigorotiH HUgar maploH, tlu! product of the remainder is, pro- 
portionally, most considisrable. ' Having introduced, ' says a 
W)'i(er, 'twenty tubes into a sugar inapbi, I drew from it tho 
same day twenty-tlirco gallons and three quarts of sap, whi(d» 
gave seven and a (piarter pounds of sugar; tbii'ty-three jxninds 
liave been made this season from the same tree, which sup- 
poses one hundred gallons of saj).' It ajipears hero that only a 
little more than three gallons was re(juired I'or a pound, though 
lour are commonly allowed." 

IVTr. M. Kaines fui-nishes the following ac(;ount of his pro- 
cess : • 

" r gather my sa]) to one large reservoir once in twcuity-foui" 
hours ; then it is boiled each day to syrup, which is about half 
the sweetness of molasses; it is then taken out and strained 
through a flannel cloth, and ])ut into a tub or barrel to cool and 
settle tor twelve hours — (i use a slu!et-ii"on i)an s(!t in an arch of 
brick ; the pan is made of Kussia iron, eight feet long, four feet 
wide, and six inches de(q»;) it is then takc^n out, and 1 am care- 
ful not to move the bottom where it has settled, and ])lace it in 
a kettle and heat it to ninety-eight degrees. 1 then add (for 
one Inmdred pounds) the whites of four eggs, two quarts of 
milk, and one ounce of saleratus — the eggs well beat up, and 
the saleratus well dissolved — and stir the whole well together 
in tho syrup ; and when the scum has all risen, it is to be taken 
off, and be sure it does not boil before you have done skim- 
ming it. Then it is boiled until it is done, which you will know 
hy dropping some into water; which, if done, will form a wax. 
Jt then must be taken from the kettle and placed in tinpans 
to cool and form tho grain ; and as soon as tlu^ grain is suf- 
ficiently formed, I then pour it into tunnel-shaped boxes to 
drain, and after twenty-four hours 1 ])lace a flannel cloth on the 
top, and take the plug from the bottom and let it drain. The 
flaiinel cloth 1 keep wet from day to day. " 



DO 
SAPINDACE.E. (Soapberry Tribe.) 

SOAPBEERY, {Sapindus marginatus. . Willd.) Florida and 
Georgia, near the coaHt. 

The skin of the fruit of S. emarginatus is said to be used in 
India for the same purposes as soap. That of the S. saponaria, 
which grows in the West Indies, is employed for washing linen, 
but when emploj^ed often is apt to burn and destroy it ; the 
nuts are very smooth and of a shining black color, and wore 
formerly imported to England and manufactured into buttons, 
which wore sometimes tipped with silver and always very 
durable. Wilson's Eural Cyc. Our species should be examin- 
ed. It will be observed that it is very nearly related to the 
buckeye, {^esculus,) the roots of which are also used for wash- 
ing woollens. See, also, " Saponaria^ " in this volume. 

Cardiosperinxim halicacabum,'L. S. Fla. " Apparently native 
but not uncommon in tjultivation. " Chap. 

The root is sudorific, diuretic and aperient ; and on the Mala- 
bar coast the leaves are considered efficacious in pulmonic af- 
fections. Anslie, II, 204, Griffith. 

The Bodoncea viscosn also grows in S. Fla. 

^SCULACE^. {The Horse Chestnut Tribe). 

The seeds contain a great quantity of nutritive starch ; also 
a sufficient amount of potash to be useful as cosmetics, or as a 
substitute for soap. 

HORSE CHESTNUT ; BUCKEYE, (uEsculus pavia, L.) 
Diffused. I have observed it in Greenville, Fairfield and 
Charleston Districts ; vicinity of Charleston, Bach.; North Caro- 
lina. Fl. May. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 105 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 214. The fruit is 
about the size of a small lemon, and of a beautifully polished 
mahogany color externally ; it contains a great deal of starch. 
Dr. Woodhouse prepared a half a pint from the nuts, which re- 
tained its color for two years. It is superior to the famous 
Portland starch, and does not impart a yellow color to cloth. 
It is said that the washing from this is narcotic and poisonous. 
Dr. McDowol tried the powder of the rind, and states that ten 
grains were equivalent to three of opium ; a strong decoction 



91 

is recommended as a lotion to gangrenous ulcers. A strong 
decoction of the root is said to relieve toothache when held in 
the mouth. The fresh kernels, macerated in water, mixed with 
wheat flour into a stiff paste and thrown in pools of standing 
water, intoxicate fish, so that they float on the surface, and 
may be taken ; reviving, however, when placed in fresh water. 
I am informed that large quantities were formerly caught in 
this way in the swamps along the Santee Eiver. See, also, Ell. 
Bot. Med. Notes. The roots are preferred even to soap for 
washing and whitening woollens, blankets, and dyed cottons — 
the colors of which are improved by the process. Satins washed 
in this manner and carefully ironed, look almost as well as 
new. 

The Buckeye has been used in St. John's, Berkeley, S. C, 
(186.3,) to fix the color of cotton fabrics, muslins, etc., when alum 
ox gall, sugar of lead, etc., had proved inefficient. Bedsteads 
made of the horse chestnut are said noC to be infested by bugs. 
I am l^ld that in the West they use the buckeye to prevent 
piles, worn about the loins as an amulet! 

POLYGALACEyE. {The Milkwort Tribe.) 

Bitterness in the leaves, and milk in the roots, are theirusual 
characteristics. 

SBNEKA SNAKEROOT ; MOUNTAIN ELAX, (Polygala 
Senega, L.) Mountainous districts of South and North Carolina. 
Fl. July. 

Thornton's Fam. Herb. 629. An active stimulant, increas- 
ing the force of the circulation, especially that of the pulmo- 
nary vessels; hence, found very useful in typhoid inflamma- 
tion of the lungs. Dr. Brandreth, of Liverpool, has derived 
great service from its employment, in cases of lethargy, in 
the form of an extract combined with carb. ammonia). It has 
been given in dropsical cases, and as it sometimes provokes 
plentiful discharges by urine, stool and perspiration, it is fre- 
quently the means of removing the disease after the ordinary 
cathartics, diuretics and hydragogues have failed. The In- 
dians use it in snake bites, given internall}" and applied topi- 
cally; if beneficial, it only acts as a diffusible stimulant; it is 
administered, also, as a gargle in croup. A principle called sene- 



1)2 

gin has been (liscovcrod in it ; and one by JleHchiov, called jpoZy- 
galie acid, (^iicvcnnc is also said to have detected two : poly- 
galic and Virgineic — the first of which will unite with bases; 
the second volatile, oily, nauseant and emetic in small, dia- 
phoretic, expectorant and diuretic in large doses. Stephens & 
Church, 103. See Analysis in Journal de Pharm. xxii, 449. 
One of the principles referred to is said not to differ from 5a- 
ponine. Supplem. to the Diet, de M. Med. by Mer. and de L. 
1846, 578 ; M. Guibourt, in his " Abridged Hist, of Simple 
Drugs;" Carson's ]llust. Med. Bot. 1847, pt. i; L. FeneuUe's 
Anual. Jounuil de Pharni. ii, 480. It has been employed iu 
pleurisy. See Ten nent's Essay on that disease; Duhamel,Mem. 
de I'Acad, de Paris, 1739, 144; McKensie's Med. Obs. and 
Enquiries, ii, 288 ; Do Haen. Eatio Medendi : F. d'Ammon " sur 
I'emploi ct I'utilite de la racine du P. senega dans plusieurs 
null, de I'oeil;" Annal. de Chini. de Heidelberg. Dr. Ammon, 
of Dresden, in liis ])aper, employs it in ophthalmias, after the 
inflammatory stage is passed; it is said to prevent the forma- 
tion of cataract, and to promote the absorption of pus in hy- 
,popion ; ho reports two cases; it is adapted, in fact, to all 
cases of exudation, hy its power of promoting discharge. Suite 
des Experiences, in Bull, des Sci. Med. xx, 241. Bretonneau 
gave four to five grains, every hour, in croup ; it opposes the 
formation of the di})htheritic membrane. Bull, des Sci. Med. 
de Ferus. xi, 61; Mem. sur le Senega, Acad, des Sci. See 
Merat, loc cit. Dr. Milne spoke highly of the decoction, joined 
with bitartrate of potash, in dropsy. Dr. Percival administered 
it iu dropsy of the chest. If the decoction causes vomiting, 
some aromatic, angelica, calamus, or fennel may be added. It 
is prescribed as a drink in pneumonia, ])leurisy and typhoid 
fever. Linnseus, in his Veg. Mat. Med. 137, speaks of this plant 
as a specific in croup {specijicum in phlogose hinc ojficinis nostris 
dignissinia.) Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 87. It acts as a stimulant, 
diuretic, sialagogue, expectorant, purgative, emetic, sudorific, 
and is also emmenagogue. U.S. Disp. 649; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 
ii, 27; Bart. M. Bot. ii, 111; Mer and de L. v, 424; Diet, des Sci, 
Med. Ii, 1 ; Journal de Chim. Med. ii, 431 ; Journal Analyt. i, 339. 
Emploj^ed in nervous affections, and hectic fever; in hydro- 
thorax, from its stimulating effect on the kidneys, and in dis- 
eases of the lun^s, fruni its augnientiiiii; the absorbent forces. 



!>3 

Anc. Journal do Med. Ixxvi, 53; Detharding, Diss, do Senega, 
1749; C. Linn. Diss, upon the Koot of the Senega, Argentorati, 
1750; Kielhon, Diss. Frankfort, 1765; Helminth, at Edinbui'gh, 
1782; G. Folchi, "Eech. chimico — Therap. sur la racine du 
polygala du Virginie. " In pneumonia, after bleeding, and in 
the tyjihoid stage, it is one of our best remedies for promoting 
expectoration; at an earlier period it is too stimulating. Much 
use is made of it on the plantations in South Carolina for this 
purpose. According to Dr. Bree, it is eminently iiseful in the 
asthma of old people, and in the latter stages of croup. It has 
been employed successfully in chronic rheumatism, and Dr. 
Chapman also found it very efficacious in recent cases of amen- 
orrhea. Frost's Elems. 258; Griffith's Med. Bot. 225; Archer's 
Med. and Phys. Journal, i, 83 ; Brecon Asthma, 258; Massie's 
Inaug. Diss. Phil. 1803; Thacher's Disp. 319; N. Eng. Journal, 
vii, 206. In croup, it is often given in the foi-m of hive syrup; 
the best form, however, is a decoction made by boiling one 
ounce of the root in one pint and a half of water, till it is reduced 
to a pint, the dose of which is a tablespoonful ; thirty grains of the 
powdered root may be given in substance. This plant is em- 
ployed by the steam practitioners. See Howard's Syst. of Bot. 
Med. 343. 

BLOOD EED POLYGALA, {Polygala sanguinea, L. Nutt.) 
Grows in flat, pine lands; abundantly near Purysburg; sent to 
me from Abbeville by Mr. Reed ; vicinity of Charleston, Bach. 
North Carolina. Fl. June. 

Lind. Nat. Syss. Bot. 86; Barton's Med. Bot. ii, 17. A stimu- 
lating diaphoretic, similar, it is supposed, in properties to the 
above. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. v, 424 ; Griffith, Med. 
Bot. 225. 

Polygala paucifolia, Willd. Grows in the mountains of South 
and North Carolina. Fl. August. 

Griffith, Med. Bot. 227. Rafinesque, in his Med. Flora, says 
it is possessed of active properties ; the root having a sweet, 
pungent, aromatic taste, similar to that of the -winter green 
{Gaultheria proeumb.;') he thinks it milder than the P. senega, 
and, therefore, adapted to cases in which that is inapplicable. 
Griffith does not agi'ce with him, attributing to it merely tonic 
and bitter properties. 



94 

Polygala rubella, Willd. Pblygama, "Walter. Vicinity of 
Charleston. 

The whole plant is officinal. In small doses it is tonic, in 
larger, laxative and diaphoretic. The infusion of the dried plant 
has been usually employed to impart tone to the digestive 
organs. (Bigelow.) It appears, adds Dr. Wood, to be closely 
analagous in medical virtues to the Polygala amara. of Europe, 
which is used for a similar purpose. U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

The fresh root of P. lutea, yellow bachelor's button, growing 
throughout the Southern States, emits a taste similar to that of 
the Gaultheria. 

Krameria lanceolata, Ton: S. Fla. It is highly probable that 
this might be used as a substitute for the officinal Ehatany 
which is such an excellent astringent. Griffith. 

CEDEELACE.E. {Mahogany Tribe.) 

MAHOGANY, (Swietenia inahagoni, L.) South Florida. 
Chap. So. Flora. 

This tree is cut down in August. See description of method 
pursued in Honduras, Wilson's Rural Cyc. 

The uses of the wood are so well known as to need no further 
description. 

The bark which has the properties of the S. febrifuga, which 
is employed in the East in intermittent fever in doses of thirty 
grains, may, it is said, be used as Peruvian bark. I do not 
know that the tree is " exploited " in Florida. 

LINACE.E. {The Flax Tribe.) 

FLAX, L. {Linum usitatissimmn.) Cultivated in the Southern 
States. 

It is cultivated here jDrettj^ much on account of the seeds, 
which are well known for their valuable demulcent properties, 
and for the linseed oil Avhich the}^ affoi'd. Immediate attention 
should be paid to raising on a very much larger scale both this 
plant, the mustard and the castor oil. Flax matures well in 
this latitude. For much useful information in reference to the 
economical application of this plant, see Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. Sup. 1846, 435. 



f>5 

Among the thread plants may be mentioned Eamie Flax, {Linum 
usitatissimuvi,) 'Peromnal Flax, {Linum perenne,) Hemp (Cannabis 
sativa,) Virginian Sillc, (Asclepias syriaca,) Common nettle, 
( Urtica dioica,) and the Kosebay willow herb, (Epilohium angus- 
tifolium.) The three latter are all found growing wild in South 
Carolina. The Asclepias was planted for the purpose in Ger- 
many, but is an imperfect substitute for hemp or flax. See A 
syriaca in this volume. The stem of the hop has also been used 
for the production of thread. They require further examina- 
tion. See Thaer's work, "Principles of Agriculture, " p. 461. 
Hemp seeds also yield oil. 

The best drying oils, Chaptal states ('"Chemistry applied to 
Agriculture, " p. 145,) are those of flaxseed, nuts and poppies. 
Linseed oil will dissolve at boiling temperature one-quarter of 
its weight of that oxide known in commerce by the name of 
litharge. It becomes brown in proportion as the oxide is dis- 
solved ; tvhen saturated with the oxide it thickens by cooling, 
and it is necessary to render it liquid by heat at the time of 
using it. Linseed oil saturated with the oxide and applied with 
a brush to any substance, hardens readily and forms a coating 
impervious by water, and much resembles gum elastic; linen or 
silk prepared with it is flexible without being adhesive. A ce- 
ment of this oil, pi-epared with the oxide and mixed with the 
refuse or broken fragments of porcelain or well baked potter's 
ware, is used with great success in uniting the tiles upon roofs, 
and in cisterns and reservoirs. To form this cement the pul- 
verized fragments are thoroughly incorporated with the heated 
oil, and applied by the trowel while in that state. When linseed 
oil is to be used in painting, one-twentieth, or, at the most, one- 
tenth of litharge is sufficient to render it drying. 

With linseed oil and common glue, a water-proof material is 
made, which may prove of great use in preparing garments for 
soldiers. Immerse common glue in cold water until it becomes 
perfectly soft, but yet retaining its original form; after which 
it is to be dissolved in common i-aw linseed oil, assisted by a 
gentle heat, until it becomes entirely taken up by the latter ; 
after which it may be applied to substances for adhesion to each 
other, in the way common glue is usually applied. It dries al- 
most immediately, and water will exei't no action upon it. It 
has more tenacity than common glue, and becomes impervious 



to water. It may be used also for furniture, and two layers of 
cloth may be glued together to form a water-proof garment. 
Glue dissolved in vinegar also makes a very tenacious substance 
in place of the prepared glues. See plates of machinery for 
pressing linseed and other oils, Ure's Dictionary of Arts, article 
"Oils;" also Wilson's Eural Cyc, articles "Flax" and "Lin- 
seed." The processes are described, with plates. Those inter- 
ested may find there a full statement of the method of gathering, 
planting, uses, etc. See, also, " Olea," in this work. Flaxseed 
intended for planting should not be gathered too quickly. It is 
sown early in the spring. If raised merely for the seed, it is 
harvested and threshed like other grain. But when the stalk 
is used, it is pulled up by a machine as soon as the seed begins 
to ripen, and bound in small bundles, the seed stripped off by a 
machine, and the stalks spread out and dew rotted ; it is then 
sold to the hemp makers for seven or eight dollars per ton. 
The farmer sells the crop at one dollar per bushel for the seed, 
which is sent to the oil-mill. 

Popular Essays on the cultivation of Flaxseed and Castor Oil 
Beans have been published, 1868, by the St. Louis " Lead and 
Oil Company." Barnum «& Brothei-, of St. Louis, furnish ma- 
chiner}'. They say that " farmers can undertake their culture 
with an almost absolute certainty of obtaining high prices, and 
of being richly rcAvarded for their labor," and that their cultiva- 
tion in the Southern States may be made more remunerative 
than in the Northern States, where, as in that of New York 
particularly, they have been profitably cultivated for j^ears. On 
account of the importance of the subject, I introduce the follow- 
ing from the pamphlet : 

" Millions are annually paid to foreign nations for flaxseed (or 
linseed) and castor beans, and for the oil pi'essed from them. 
It is strange that this country should be the importer of articles 
which can be so easily produced by our own peoj)le, and which 
are so perfectly adapted to our soil and climate. We might, 
with the same propriety, neglect to raise enough wheat or corn 
for our own consumption, and thus be compelled to depend upon 
foreign nations for our suppl}^ of these articles ; for we maintain 
that these crops can be raised at a greater average profit than 
wheat or corn. 

"The cultivation of flaxseed is as simple as that of any crop 



97 

we have. It requires no more labor to raiHe and harvest a crop 
of it than it does to raise and harvest a crop of oats, barley or 
wheat. It is less exhausting to the soil than a crop of wheat. 
The use of mowers in harvesting, leaving the roots in the 
ground, prevents the crop from being an exhausting one. 
Flax is a very quick crop. The producer can receive his money 
within three months after sowing. The following directions, if 
followed, will enable any farmer to raise a large crop of strictly 
prime seed : 

" Selection of Soil. — Almost any dry, rolling, moderately rich 
land will produce good seed. It is generally thought that flax- 
seed should be sown on moist, rich land, such as our creek and 
river bottoms. This opinion prevails because the straw of flax 
grows more luxuriantly on such land. The best seed, i. e., rich- 
est in oleaginous matter, is produced upon rather dry, rolling 
and only moderately fertile soil. The stalks are shorter, branch 
more, and the bolls fill better. A better quality of seed is also 
obtaiired in a dry season than in a wet one, i. e., the seed con- 
tains a better per cent, of oil. The straw does not grow so rank, 
and the bolls fill with larger, richer seed. 

"Preparation of the Soil. — The soil should be put in the finest 
possible tilth for the reception of the seed. One good, deep 
plowing, and several harrowings, so as to make the surface fine 
and smooth, will answer. But it is better, when it can be done, 
to plow the ground deeply in the fall, exposing the sub-soil to 
the action of the frosts and the atmosphere. In the spring, cross 
plow the land, and harrow as before recommended. One thing 
must always be borne in mind in preparing land for flaxseed, 
and that is, the land must not be worked when wet. If it is, it 
will be lump}'^, sticky, and in bad condition for a crop. When 
the soil is dry, it pulverizes freely, and no such consequences 
follow. It is desirable to have a heavy roller drawn over the 
field, to crush and thoroughly pulverize any lumps or clods that 
may be on the surface. The whole cultivation of the crop, and 
the yield therefrom, depends upon putting the land in proper 
condition for the seed. A little 6xtra labor and care in this re- 
spect will yield a rich return. If the sub-soil is a retentive clay, 
it is better to plow the ground in back furrows or lands, eighteen 
or twenty feet wide, leaving the furrows between the lands open 
7 



!>K 



lor tin; ))iiHHUf4,<f of vvuL(^i" in chhc^ of licuvy I'iiiiiH, or uii iiiiduo 
:iinoiitit of lll()iHlllr(^ 

" Qiuilifi/ of Herd. — Too iiiiicli |)uiiiH (niiiiiot be taken to ^(^t (liiit 
wliicli in fully iiiiil iii-ed iind ix-.i-lrdly cXvuu — free from all loul 
h(U!(Ih — l)otli to HC(!uro u ^'ood nic-rchiintiiMe (^I'op mid to prc^scrvo 
the liiiid on wliicli it \h Hovvn I'rorn I roiihleHoiiKi wetMJH. h^u'inc^rH 
oltc^n ex|)eri(!n('(! threat dillicnlty in |»ro(!iii-inj/; Hiudi h*hm1, uH no 
ordiimry iannin;^ mill will iHMnove Home oi" Wxc worst enemi<'H ol" 
t:li(^ farmei- and ^ood Max. 'V\w liiiKeed oil manut'aedirer wlio 
r<M-eiv(^s the ci-op ol" a lar<:;e Hecttion ol" country iw enabled to 
Hele(!t (!hoi(;e lotn oIhchmI and reHerve them ibr sowinj^;, and then, 
by machinery too expenwivc^ and cumbrouH (or oi-dinary uhc, to 
clean it ho tiiorou^hly that he can «;ive out each year an almost 
])erf'ect article of sowing- seed. Sindi seed in HUj)erior to that 
ordimirily obtained in the market, and even at H(^(^d hIoi'ch, 
With ^'ood Heed (o how, therc! in nothing;- like llax aH a i)j'ei)ara- 
tory cro]) for vvluuit. ^Phe teHtimony ol" Ohio farmern, where 
flax lias been (^xtiuinividy ^i-own for ov(U' a (|iiarter o( a century, 
is CiXplicit on this point. 

" Tbnc and Ahtniwr of Soivin(j. — The need should be Hown ho 
soon in spi-in";' aH (he land can be f^ot in proper condition — nay 
the la(l(M- part o(" March to mid(ll(M)(" A|)i-il. We iiave heai-d 
(Jiat i( is som(^(imeH injured, at a par(.ieular nta^e of itw growth, 
by ("ros(, ; bu( W(» iiave cultivated it, and seiMi it cultivated Ibr 
more than twenty-hvo years, and havi* never known any injury 
to occur to it from front. To avoid i"rost, it should not be 
planted till about the firnt o(" May in the latitude of St. Louin ; 
but if the Hcawon should be dry, the flax will not get large 
enough to renint the drouth o(" summcfr. Therefore, wo think it 
b(^t(er to HOW the h(hm1 about ilw (irstof April. iSome ("arnn'rs 
do HOW (he Hcod as early as in February, on the snow. It may 
bo sown wi( h Hafoty at almont any time in spring. The need is 
Hcat(ered evcnl}' and thinly ovcm* {ho sur("a(H' o(" the ground by 
hand. It should be covered by di'awing brush ov^^r i(, instead 
<S{' harrowing it, as by the latter method it is (u)vcred too deep. 
()nl>' a very slight covering is reipiiivd. A h(^avy rain, imnie- 
diat,(dy a("tei- (he needing, will cover the need suHiciently ; oi', 
drawing a luuivy roller over the ground will answ(^i- (he name 
])urp()se. But, in (hesc^ cases, (he S(nl must have been made 
viiry mellow and fine belbre sowing the seed. 



" Quantity of Sixd per Acrr,. — Not, ov<'r liulf ii I)iihIi(^I \H'y ii<;n;, in 
juiy ciiHo, Hlioiild l)(! Kovvii. \^y iJiiii Howiii/^ tlic hIuIUk will \h'. 
HtroM^<!r iitid throw out vigorous hi'iinoiicH, which will j)r<;(lij(;c 
largo hoilH fiihid wiUi pliiMij), gloHsy H(je(l, (ronljiinin/^ a v<;iy 
largo per cent, of oil. liy thick H(!(;diiig tlu; plantH are lews 
wtrong, branch hiit littU^, the; Hiiri can Htriko only tlio tops of the 
plantH, aii<l tlio Hcedn will bo Hnialhjr, lighU^r, and will nf>t con- 
tain within fifteen or twcMity per cent. th(! amount ol' oil that 
HCcd will when raiwed by thin Mowing. 

^^ Flaxaacd with liarUnj. — FlaxHcjod may be ruiscid with Hj)ring 
barl(!y with the; moHt Hatinfactory rciHultH. A yield ban becMi 
obtained, varying in difl'ei-ent years, from ten to fifteen buHhelH 
of f1axMee<J, and from Hixteen to tw(!nty-two buHheJH of barUiy 
per acre. 'Phe barh^y in firnt Hown and harrowed in, then the 
flaxH«!(!d is Kown, hIx or (iight qiiartH per acre, and (covered with 
the bi'iiHh. The cro[)H ripen nearly together. They are har- 
voHted, arid then threHh(j<l with a common thrcHhing ma'^hine; 
and by <h(! uh(! of Hiiitable KcreeriH in tin; fa/ining mill, the barley 
comcH out el<;ari in the front part of the mill, and the flaxHoed 
f;omeK out und(!r (;r at one Hide of tin; mill. We have Hoen an 
fine, plump flaxHoed raiwid in thiw manner aw W(! (iver Haw, and 
tli(! barley equally fine;. TIioho fiii-nierH wlio intend to how 
barley, will find that, by Howing fiaxHe<!d with it, thcsy will 
derive much greater roturnH from the flaxmsed than from the 
barhjy, a)id tin; quantit}' of barhiy produr;(;d will not be materi- 
ally h^Hsened. Ijchh than the UHual quantity of barley nhould bo 
HowM, when it Ih intended to ralHo flaxHoed with it. 

" l\me of (!aUrn(i. — Flax Hboiild be cut an Hoon aH the br)llH b(!gin 
to turn brown, and wliih; the Ktock Ih ycjt green. If left Htand- 
ing too long, then; will be a great Iohh of Hoed in harventing. 
Farmern ai-e unually well through harvcHting Hpring wlx^at 
before flax in ready to cut; and it rijxiUH cfniHid(!rably later 
than winter wheat. 

" Mode of (Jutting. — Some farm(-rH use a cradle, but a largo 
majority a machine. From the; nutnlxir of reapei'H mentioned 
as working well, wo are pernuaded that almoHt all our Htandard 
machirioH can be UHod to advantage in cutting flax. When it is 
raiHcd principally for the Heed there iH no necoHHity for binding 
it, but may bt; Himply raked off into gavelH and lie until dry, 
when it Ih ready for thrcHhing. It is better to thrcHh it early. 



- 100 

^^ Mode of Threshing. — Some use a Hail, some a machine, and 
flome tread out with horses. In some sections, and those where 
they have raised most, and for the longest time, they report no 
difficulty in using machines with some slight alterations, to suit 
better the nature of the crop. The good sense and peculiar 
circumstances of each farmer will suggest the best mode for 
him. 

" Cleaning Seed. — Is an item in raising flax that must have great 
attention from farmers. Until lately the makers of fanning 
mills had little or no experience with it, and so furnished no 
screens suitable; but now several furnish a flax screen, with 
which a large amount of the foul seeds can be removed; and 
there is certainly no excuse for transporting dirt, at a high 
rate of freight, to the damaging of tlie crop in the market, and 
the great annoyance of the manufacturer, who has to separate 
every particle of it before crushing the seed. The difference in 
price between lots of seed belonging to diff'erent parties is mainly 
determined by the manner in which it has b(*en cleaned by the 
farmer. 

" Yield per Acre. — The average yield of seed may be stated at 
ten to twelve bushels per acre. The largest yield of which we 
have beard was twenty-three bushels to the acre, but scores of 
farmers re])oi't fifteen to twenty bushels. The average yield of 
straw is one and a half to two and a halftone — when cut, yield- 
ing about one ton of rotted straw for which there is now an 
active demand with every prospect for its increase, as machines 
for breaking out the fibre are improved and multiplied. 

^^ Cost of Prodxiction, — About the same as wheat, llarvcsting 
less expensive, but cleaning a trifle more. So that it may be 
safely put down as costing less to raise flax than wheat. 

" Certainty of the Crop. — On this point there is perfect agree- 
ment from all sections. We hope farmers, who have hitherto 
stood aloof from its cultui'e, will give it at least a fair trial — 
fully persuaded that, at no distant day, the South and West can 
and will produce flaxseed enough to supply the whole country 
with linseed oil, and flax fibre enough to clothe us all in linen 
more or less fine, and that at a cost comparing favorably with 
cotton. 

"Flaxseed has ])roved a ]jrofitabIe crop in the Noi'thern States 
for several years. The importatit)u of linseed and linseed oil 



I 



101 

liaH exceeded manyfold the homo production ; and the proHont 

duty on foreign oil and seed, with the immense homo demand, \h 

a sufficient guarantee to the producer of remunerative prices for 

many years to come. The market price for flaxseed has ruled 

remarkabl}' regular the past few years, as a comjtarison of the 

highest and lowest prices for the lour years last ])assed will 

show : 

Highost Price. LowopI Price. 

1864 ^. .$2 75 $2 25 

18(55 2 85 1 70 

1H6U 2 75 2 M 

18(>7 2 50 2 00 

The highest prices for the lour years averaging $2 71, and the 
lowest $2 11 per bushel. The fibre, when properly rotted and 
broken, is saleable in large quantities in the princi])al cities, at 
from eight to twelve cents per pound." 

The reader interested in the ])reparation and cleaning of the 
fibres flf textile plants, will find a pai)er upon the subject, con- 
densed from the Singjipore Free Press, in the P. Office Rep. 
1854, p. 174. A description of the simplest and most economi- 
cal modes of cleaning them is given. The Plantain, Agave and 
Aloe are planted in India, and the fibre exported for twine, 
paper, etc., bringing from sixty to two hundred dollars j)er ton. 
I do not know that those plants are used in our West India 
islands or in Florida for these purposes. The oi-dinary mill used 
in pressing sugar cane can bo used in cleaning tin; fibre. See 
article cited, and "IJamie" in this volume. 

Wilson's Rural Cyc, article " Bleaching," furnishes a practi- 
cal explanation of the methods of bleaching flax, hc^mp, etc. See, 
also, Ure's Dictionary. The wild flax (L. Virginianum, L.) 
grows in Florida and northward. 

MALVACB.;E. (The Mallow Tribe.) 

They abound in mucilage, and are totally destitute of all un- 
wholesome qualities. 

LOW MALLOWS, (Malva rotundifolia, L.) Natiii-alizcnl ; 
grows around buildings ; Richland ; vicinity of Charleston ; N. 
(J. Fl. June. 

U. S. Disp. 444. A substitute for J/, .sylvcstris, which possesses 
valuable demulcent pi-operties. Woodv. Med. JJot. 554, torn. 



102 

197. It is very emolliont, and is employed in catarrhal, dysen- 
teric and nephritic diseases, and wherever a mucilaginous fluid 
is required. It is administered in the shape of emollient 
enemata, and it forms a good suppurative or relaxing cataplasm 
in external inflammations. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 
207. It was highl}' regarded by the ancients. " Pythagore 
regardait leur usage comme propre a favoriser I'exereise de la 
pensee!" Hippocrates employed it as we do, for gargles and 
coUj'ria, as an application to heated and'inflamed parts, as a 
vehicle for pectoral and anodyne medicines, and for those 
administered in diseases of the urinarj'' passages. The root, 
seeds and whole plant are mucilaginous, and are employed in 
catarrhal, dysenteric and nephritic complaints as an emollient 
injection, and w^herever an emollient substance is required. U. 
S. Disp. I have seen it collected in Chai'leston for these 
purposes. 

INDIAN MALLOWS; VELVET LEAF, (Abutilon Avi- 
cennce, Gaartn., T. and G.) (Sida abutilon, Linn, and Ell. Sk.) 
Grows at Gran by, in Richland District, and in Georgia; vicinity 
of Charleston. Bach. Newbern. Fl. July. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 96 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 
338. The plant is said to be cultivated in China as a substitute 
for hemp. The flowers are employed as an ingredient in emol- 
lient applications. 

Abutilon and Sida. Species of these two genera have been 
used in medicine. S. abutilon is cultivated in India for the fibre, 
and somewhat extensively introduced into field culture in Italy- 
See Rural Cyc, Chap. So. Flora. Our Abntilons should be ex- 
amined ; several grow in South Carolina and Florida. They 
all furnish mucilage and may be used as substitutes for the 
Marsh mallow. 

MARSH MALLOW, (Hibiscus Moscheutos, L.) Collected in 
St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbem. 

Bergius, M. Med. ii, 629. This also is possessed of demulcent 
properties; a convenient substitute for the above. 

OKRA, (Hibiscus esculentus.) Introduced from Africa. 

The fruit and pods aftbrd the well known valuable vegetable 
80 largely used in the Southern States in combination with 
tomatoes in making soup. It is very mucilaginous, and, in- 



fiiMod in waLcu", Ibrius a suiLiiblo vehicle for iixediciiicH prescribed 
in diseascH of the mucous passai^es, for eneiuata, etc. The leaves 
are sometimes employed for preparing emollient poultices. The 
roots are said to abound in mucilage, of which they yield twice 
as much as the Althtua root, free from any unpleasant odor. 
Their powder is perfectly white and superior also to that of the 
Marsh mallow. See Am. J. Pharm., May, 1860, U. S. Dis., 
12th Ed. The parched seeds aftbrd a tolerably good substitute 
for coffee ; the difference can with difficulty be detected. It has 
for some time been used for this purpose among the negroes on 
the plantations of South Carolina. 

This well-known vegetable contains an enormous amount of 
albumen — so much, that Chaptal says that in St. Domingo it is 
employed in clarifying liquors. In Guadeloupe and Martinique 
they use the bark of the slippery elm for this purpose as white 
of Ggg elsewhere. It would be a matter of imi)ortance to as- 
certain whether or not vegetable albumen would be useful in 
clarifying sugar. In employing albumen for clarifying fluids 
the following method is adopted, according to the writer just 
mentioned. I would refer the reader also to Ure's Dictionary of 
Arts and Manufactures. The albumen, generally white of egg, 
is diluted with water, and then mixed with the liquid which is 
to be clarified ; the whole is then heated to 65° or 70° Fahr., and 
stirred carefully so as to distribute the albumen equally among 
all its particles; by increasing the heat the albumen is made to 
coagulate, when it rises to the top of the vessel, carrying with 
it all the particles which render the liquid turbid or cloudy; the 
thick foam which this produces, when cooled, may be taken off 
with a skimmer, and the liquid be afterward filtrated, ta remove 
any remaining particles from it. The same writer says that 
animal albumen, mixed with quick-lime, finely powdered and 
spread upon strips of linen, ntakes an excellent lute, to be ap- 
plied over the joints of vessels for distilling, to prevent loss of 
gas or vapor. 

The Bene, (Sesamum indicum,') is another plant cultivated on 
our plantations, which has a very large amount of mucilage. 

The okra plant has been recommended to be planted for the 
fibre as a textile substance. Even the cotton plant, if not al- 
lowed to come to maturity, and planted closer, like flax and. 
hemp, might furnish an inner bark suitable for twine or cloth. 



104 

Tlu> nottlo, {I'rticd dioica,) the Aj)oci/nu)ii ctunuihinum, ntul several 
spooios ot" Ast'lopias, or silk woihI, may, by improvod cultiva- 
tion, ijivo a usoliil tibro; see index. Dr. G. C 8baotVor, the 
author of a paper in P. O. Rep., 373, 1869, on "Vegetable tibro," 
states that the tibro of the silk or milk-weed (^4. cornuti) "was 
nearly if not quite as strong as the hoinp." In this article the 
mode of pn>paring textile tibres is treated of, and also the best 
materials for paper making. A curious work, by Dr. J. C. 
Shaotfer, 17(i5, is referred to, in which experiments wore long 
since performed upon innumerable substances suited to the 
making of paper. The latest work of consequence has been 
published by L. Piette, 1838. Piotte gives specimens of good, 
strong, white paper made from straw. Paper in the Ignited 
States was also made from wood, sawdust and shavings, in 1828 
and 1830. The bai'k of the linden is used in Prussia. (See 
T^lia.^ The palmetto, agave and yucca of the South furnish a 
long tibro. When necessary, the intercellular substance may 
be dissolved out by strong alkalies by the lye from the ashes of 
plants, etc. For material tor paper making see " Cotton" and 
" Esparto " Grass. lire's l)ictit)nary of Arts may be consulted 
with rotoronoo to machinery, etc. 

COTTON, (Gossypium herbaceum, Linn.) 

A native of tropical America. The long staple, including the 
varieties of sea island, black seed and mains, grow best in the 
K)wor <'ountry, and the short, or green seed, in the upper dis- 
tricts. Proscott states that the Spaniards found it in Mexico. 
See "Conquest of Mexico." It was tirst jjlanted in the United. 
States as an experiment in 1621. It was known in South Caro- 
lina by a paper which refers to it, dated UUU5. but only seven 
bags were exported in 1748. 

Mer and do L. Diet, do M. M(>«i. Supplem. 1846. This was 
the plant known to the ancients as the Byssus of old writers. 
Herodotus, t. iii, 134, of Durgor's Ed. ; Chateaubriand, Journal 
to Jerusalem, 1777. See Revue Medicale, Feb. 1845, 225, for 
Observations on the Employment of the Cotton Fibre in Dress- 
ing Wounds; Ann de Chimie, 427, 1845; Binol's Letters on the 
Cultivation of Cotton in India; C. Delasterie on the G. her- 
baeea and its Cultivation, Paris, 1808; Lessier sur la Culture du 
Coton en Franco ; Gerspach, Considerations sur rintluonce des 



105 

filaturcH du Colon Hur la Hante des ouvrierH, Paris, 1827; Obs. 
on the Employment ol" Cotton in the Treatment of BlisterH, 
18:^0; Srmie JieflectionH by F. T. Saint Ililaire on Woundn, and 
their Treatment with Cotton, (in French,) Montp. 1830; Hicand, 
ObH. on the Employment of the Cotton Fibre in Surgery and a 
Memoir on the different Species cultivated in Naples, op. cit. 
sup.; Griffith, Med. Bot. 168; Dr. MacFayden (Fl. Jamaica) 
considers the species only as varieties. Humboldt saw them 
growing in Central America at an elevation of nine thousand 
feet. The flowers are emollient like mallows and used for 
similar purposes; the roots are used in India in diseases of the 
urinary organs. See Anslie. In Brazil, a decoction of the 
leaves steeped in vinegar is said to relieve hemicrania. Ac- 
cording to Martin the seeds, which afford much oil, are emol- 
lient and are employed in emulsions, injections and diseases of 
the mucous passages. The oil is afforded by the seeds in suf- 
ficiently large quantities to be exported. It might be made a 
useful Article on the plantations, as it does not deprive the 
seeds of their valuable properties as a manure. When boiled, 
they furnish an excellent food for cattle, but are poisonous to 
hogs when eaten in the raw state. Much use is made of the 
roots in South Carolina in the treatment of asthma — a decoc- 
tion being employed. It appears to have, moreover, a specific 
action on the uterine organs. I)r. Ready, of Edgefield District, 
informs me (1849) that his attention was called to its emmon- 
agogue properties by an article which appeared in a journal 
published some years since. (New Orleans Med. Journal.) He 
has since used it in suppression of the menses, but more par- 
ticularly in many cases of flooding, with entire success. It 
seems to produce as active contractions of the uterus as ergot 
itself. Four ounces of the root or inner bark of the root are in- 
fused in one pint of boiling water, of which from three to four 
ounces are taken internally every fifteen minutes. More ex- 
tended experiments with this remarkable plant, in cases of this 
description, might furnish very valuable results, and I would 
invite particular attention to it. Since the appearance of the 
first edition of this work many articles have been published in 
the medical journals on the use of the cotton root as an em- 
menagoguo and parturifacient. 

Dr. Wood in the 12th Ed. U. S. Disp., 1866, says that the root 



km; 

of the cotton plant has been employed by Dr. Bouehelle, of 
Mississippi, who believes it to be an excellent emmenagogue 
and not inferior to ergot in promoting uterine contractions. 
He states that it is habitually and oftectually resorted to by the 
slaves of the South for producing abortion ; and thinks that it 
acts in this way without injury to the general health. To as- 
sist labor he employs a decoction made by boiling four ounces 
of the inner bark of the root in a quart of water to a pint, and 
gives a wineglassful every twenty or thirty minutes. (West. 
Journ. Med. and Surg. Aug. 1840.) Dr. T. J. Shaw, of Ten- 
nessee, thinks it superior in the treatment of amenorrhoea to 
any other agent, and equal to ergot as a parturient, while at- 
tended with less danger. He uses a tincture made by ma- 
cerating eight ounces of the dried bark of the root in two pounds 
of diluted alcohol for two weeks, and gives a drachm three or 
four times a day. (Nashville Journ. Med. and Surg. 1855.) See 
U. S. Disp. See, also, Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 568 ; Med. and Surg. 
Journal, xiii, 215 ; U. S. Disp. 357 ; Lond. Med. Gazette, Nov. 
8, 1839; West. Journal Med. and Surg. 1840; Royle, Illust. 84 
and Mat. Med. 288 ; Mer. and de L. Diet de M. Med. iii, 409 ; 
Marcgrave's Brazil, 60; Diet, des Sc. Nat. xxxiv, 15. Dr. Bates, 
Journal of Mat. Medica, May, 1867, furnishes a paper on the 
medical uses of the plant. 

The fibre of our great staple is ajiplicable to many purposes 
in surgery, in dressing burns, preserving the temperature of the 
extremities in depressed conditions of the system, and also for 
stuffing and padding in the application of fracture boxes; but it 
is not, as has been confidently stated, a* substitute for lint in any 
sense of the term. On account of the oil which it contains, it 
cannot absorb pus or liquids from wounds, unless it has been 
previously prepared. This, indeed, is a peculiarity of cotton 
fibre in its natural state ; water or fluids will roll from it ; the 
slightest experience or observation would convince any one of 
this ; and yet it has been extensively distributed as a substance 
for dressing wounds, which it only tends to render hotter and 
more inflamed. 

The plant has also been highly recommended as a substitute 
for quinine in intermittent fever. I will refer the reader to 
some of the later volumes of the Charleston Med. Journal and 
Eeview. It has been used with great confidence by many per- 



. 1(»7 

sons throughout the South and West. See, also, a paper by Dr. 
Cabell, in the Va. Med. Journal, vol. H. Prof. II. II. Frost, 
(Charleston Med. Journal, May, 1850,) quotes Dr. W. 11. Davis, 
of Fairfield Distriet, S. C, who reports that it was used as an 
anti-periodic agent. A pint of the seeds is boiled in a quart of 
water to a y)int, and a teacupful of the decoction is given an 
hour or two before the return of the chill. I introduce the fol- 
lowing slip from a newspaper (1802) in default of more precise 
information from the medical authorities who have used it. 

H. D. Brown, of Copiah County, Mississippi, communicates 
the following notice of the use of the cotton seed tea as a sub- 
stitute for quinine : 

"I beg to make public the following certain and thoroughly 
tried cure for ague and fever: One pint of cotton seed, two pints 
of water boiled down to one of tea, taken warm one hour before 
the expected attack. Many })ersons will doubtless laugh at this 
simple remedy, but I have tried it effectually, and unhesitatingly 
say it f« better than quinine, and could I obtain the latter article 
gratuitously, I would infinitely prefer the cotton seed tea. It 
will not only cure invariably, but permanently, and it is not at 
all unpleasant to the taste." 

Collodion, a solution of gun cotton in ether and alcohol, 
has been extensively employed in surgical cases, as a covering 
for wounds, to keep out the air and to assist in the approxima- 
tion of the edges. It has also been employed in various eruptive 
diseases, in erysipelas, in burns, in the cure of excoriations and 
fissures of the nipple, in na'-vus, etc. See medical works. 

I am informed by planters in South Carolina that they use 
habitually a decoction of the cotton seed in place of flaxseed, 
and wherever a mucilaginous tea is required. If it serves fully 
the pui-jjoses of flaxseed, the fact is highly important, and it 
should be largely used. 

The seeds of the black seed cotton, parched and ground, are 
considered by many as one of the best substitutes for coflf'ee, 
both in smell and taste. In a paper by G. C. Shaeffer, on the 
cotton fibre, Patent Office Report, Agriculture, 1854, p, 181, he 
says: "Still, in the present scarcity of paper making material, it 
may be well to look to the bark of the cotton plant as a partial 
supply for the common kinds of paper. Fermentation, or any 
of the known methods of separating the wood, may be em- 



lOS 

pK\V0(l.' It' tho i'(>lU)n is ijsvtlioroil. iho y\:\n\ has Ihoii botMino 
too womly. SvH», iilsi>, (>ki'u. {lllhisi'us <\^i'ul('iitus.) 

TownsiMul (Jlovor. ontomolog'st, employed by tho Patont 
OtHoo, ilosoribos tho divsoasos ijioidont to the cotton phuit in his 
siu'oossivo papers, in the vi>hnnos of the P. O. Report for 
lSr>;>-'7, "Oi\ the Inseets trequentiiij; the (''otti>n Phiiit." These 
pupers I'lMiiain a i;ood ileal ot' intorniiition ou t he eharacter and 
habits not only ot* inseets int'esting eotton, but many otlier 
plants, with illustrations on wood, lie deseribes the rust, rot 
and blii;ht. and ile\ ises methods lor preventing; their spread. 
The Kny;lish use eotton ilipped in a solution of saltpeter as a 
moxa ; see '• Ilditintfnts." "(Jun cotton " is aUso a well known 
explosive ajjent, prepareil by means ot' nitric acid. 

Or. \Yood. in his notes to the I2th Kd. V. 8. Oisp., IStUi, 
quotes some interesting tacts t'ri»m a paper by Mr. \Vm. II. 
AVeathet-by. who resided at the South. (^See Am. J. Pharm., 
May, ISltl.) He states that the oil is obtained by expression 
ft\)m the seeds, piwiously deprived o\' their shells. In this 
state they yield two i^allons ot oil to the bushel. Resides the 
cruile oil, there are three varieties in the shops at the South 
more or less puritieii, recoijnizoil as the cl<iriji<<i, the irjintd and 
the winter hldu-futi. The last mentioned has a mild, peculiar 
odor, and a bland, sweetish taste, not unlike that of almond 
oil. The oil is used in the preparation of woollen cloth and 
morocco leather, and t'or oilinjx machinery. There seems to be 
some doubt of its ilryiuij ipialities. It has been found to be an 
excellent substitute for almond and olive oil in most pharma- 
ceutical preparatioi\s, but it does not answer well in tho ftu-nja- 
tion of the lead plaster. Citrine ointment may be prepared 
with it. It is unsoluble in alcohol, but dissolved in (ill pro- 
portions of chlorol'orm. 

Cotton Strd <So<?jt).— Tho following I obtain from a cor- 
respotulent : " Put cotton seed into a large and strong iron pot, 
in small quantities at a time, mash them well with a wooden 
pestle, and then pour in a certain quantity of common lye, aj\d 
boil thoroughly ; strain in an ordinary sieve, and proceed in 
the usual way in drying and cutting into cakes. The oil is thus 
yielded, ami saponitied." 

Machines are now manufactured in this country for decorti- 
cating the cotton seed in ma«uitaciuring the cake. It is thus 



mu'/h improved an au urt'u-Ac of i'fyM I'or oaltle, not ^xjirig near 
8^> liabU; to injure the animals. It bring** a high pri*^;*; in Eng- 
land. Millt^ for the preparation of the eake ha%e been es^tab- 
liHhed in Uhode Inland. Strange that nothing of the kind Imn 
exi*iU'A at the S^^uth where the Heed can be hfj easily obtained. 
The great value of the K<;ed a« a manure may nfj-jmut in part 
for the indifferent;!^} of the planter. The H<;ed Jia« be<jn jtrttHHiA 
in New OrleanH. The oil in waid t^^ be '•un»'.urf>a»*H';d for dres*^ 
ing leather and lubricating ma^;hinery, and an an illuminator 
affords a clear and brilliant light" — an fsofxl as Hji^^rmaceti when 
refined. Bee, al»^^, a paper on cotton H^;ed oil. .S^juthem Cultiva- 
t^^r, p. iii, vol. 3. Jle htateh that there are thirty buhhelw of 
Wicd to every bale of eott^^n ; ea/'h bale will yield at lea>it fifu.-en 
gallons of crude oil and three hundred and sixty barrels of oil 
cake. " No difficulty existh in hulling, tempering, or expressing 
the oil," and the AwZ/^r of Follet and Smith, of Petersburg, is 
referred t^>; hulling at the rate of a basket of kerrjels in four or 
five rntnutes. The machinery employed in French Flanders for 
rape seed, answers perfectly for cotton W:red. 

Cotton >S'ee/i 0<7. — A good deal has l>een said of late in the 
Cincinnati and Xew Orleans papers on the subject of cotton 
seed oil and cake; and if the half of what is published shall 
turn out to be true, we have reached the beginning of a new 
era in the cotton culture, not unlike that which marked the 
invention of the cjMoti gin. Mr. William K. Frai^, of Cincin- 
nati, has invented and constructfj^l a colt/m w;ed hulier, which en- 
tirely separates the hull and the little lint that adheres to it 
from the meat part of the seed. The huller is said Ui be simple 
in construction, is made entirely of iron, and is easily kept in 
repair. It requires a two-horse power to drive it and two 
hands to tend it — one to feed the mill and one to remove the 
hulls from the w;reen. It will hull and screen one ton, or two 
thousand pounds per hour, ready for the press — fifty p<.'r cent, 
of which is kernels or the meats of the seed, from which forty 
gallons of oil may be obtained. This ma^;hine must be exceed- 
ingly valuable to prepare seed for all feeding purposes on the 
farm where no oil is expressed, as the hulls and lint are alto- 
gether undesirable as food. Hulls and cotton seed and cut straw, 
or corn stalks, boiled together iri large iron boilers, or steamed 
in big tubs or vats, will make a superior stock feed. But as a 



I III 



j;-alli)n of this oil is chonp :it :i dollar, and onoii^h sihmI to mako 
forty i;'allons oan ho HiiIUmI in an hour, it is tar hottoi- to t'ooil (ho 
oako atlor luosl ui' tho oil is lakoii out, stoainod with straw or 
stalks, than to {\\h\ (his pivrious oil (o livo sloi'k. Al'tor cotton 
800ii is hullod, Ji good c-otton pross lor halini;- cloth will press 
txit most of tho oil in tho kornols. Porhaps thoy may rotpiiro 
hoatiuiif, as in prossinu; flaxsood. Tho art is very simplo. In- 
s(oad ol" soiuling ootton sooil to tiistaiU markots, whoro tho 
|>rodiioor will loso tho oako lor (oodinij; and as a I'oiMilizor, wo 
oarnosdy ro('on\inonii (o oatdi lai'i;-o )>lan(alii>n (^or whoro (hoir 
operations aro small, for sovoral to uni(o,) to purohaso a huUinfj; 
maohino, and, if nooossary, oonstrnt't or buy an t)il pross for 
lu>mo uso. Aoi'ordinn- to (ho data furnishod hv tho C^inoinnati 
operators, four (housand pounds oi' oommon oo((on sood will 
turn out lifty dollars wordi of i)il ; and ovory plantor knows 
that in oaso ho should wish to mix (ho hulls with tho oako in 
foodiiiii" it. or as amanuro, ho oan dosoalVor (ho oil is oxprossod. 
Tho oil is noarly valuoloss as a fortilizor, boinu; nodving hut 
carbon anil (ho olomoiKs o\' water, while in skilful liands it is 
worth Slime forty to lifty cents a gallon for making fat hogs, 
sheep, cows and stoors. but more for burning, and lubricating 
machinery. At this (imo wo wouUi gladly pny twenty dollars 
per one thousand pounds for cotton seed cake, to feed cattle, 
sheep and hi>gs. It is worth more than corn or wheat, pound for 
pound, to food mules and hogs on a cotton plantation. It con- 
tains more of tho muscle, sinew and bono lorming n\atter. It 
has loss stari'h than corn, but is a healthier food than either 
peas, beans, wheat or maize. If tho hulls wore in (he cake, the 
result would bo quite ditVoront. In tlaxseod cake tho hull of the 
seed is not renunod. It is owing to the richness of the clean 
meats oi' ootton sooil that straw, or coarse forage of some kind, 
slu>uld bo fed with the cake, except to hogs. 

t'onsoquont upon the increased amount of cotton raised in 
the Southern States, ami tho great bulk of tho sood, there had 
boon several establishments in operation before tho war for 
oconon^izing tho oil. AtonoinXew Orleans, driven by a thirty- 
tivo-horse power steampress. five huiulrod gallons of oil and 
(ivo tons of oil cake a day were jiroparod. It required I'or (ho 
dav's work, as is sta(ed in tho Southern Farmer and Planter, 
about til\oen tons of cotton seed to produce this amount of oil 



ari'l ciikc, (!iu;h ion of H(r(;(J yielding afjoiit forty ^allonn of oil 
and Hcvcn hundred or eight hundred jtoiindH of cake. The 
propri(jtor nhipped (jight hundred tons to England, where it waH 
HHcd hy the farrnorH, wlio arc extenHivc irnporterH of linHeed oil 
cake, ^riio r;otton Hccd cuke "iH highly OHt(;cmed for fattening 
cattle arid Hheep." In Mernphin, 'J'enri., it waH also made in 
very large '|iiuiil,itieH. 'IMie oil. njfined hy a Hccret process, i» 
made of two fjualiticH — "the hcHt used for illuminating and lu- 
hricating piirpoH(!H, as well an for cu/'rying leather, etc. The 
inferior is found to answer tlie puii^ose of soap making equal to 
palm oil, making Hoap of every quality, even to the most re 
fined toilet soap." (Jr^tton seed cake might be used as a sub- 
stitute to a C(;rtain extent for corn for fattening stock. "Cotton 
seed meal and corn meal, if applied directly to the hay that is 
fed in fattening animals, instiiad of the latter being fed alone 
and dry, and the corn unground, would add vastly to the 
profits of fattening. " Cotton seed cake sold at the mills for 
about tUfcsamo price that flaxseed cake sold for. 

lirowno, in his " Field Hook of Manures, " Now York, 185.S, 
says of the (!Otton seeds : " 'JMicy abound in a mild oil, and are 
accounted very nutritious (as manures) after the oil is expressed. 
A bushel of se(;d weighs thirty jiounds, and yields two and a 
half quarts of oil and twelve and a half j^ounds of fine meal. 
The oil cake is very brittle and breaks down much more 
readily than linseed oilcake. Its taste is not unpleasant, and 
it is stated that it can be employed with success in fattening 
stock, " 

In the Patent Office Jteport, 1855, p. 234, are some "Chem- 
ical Jlescarches on the Seed of the Cotton Plant," by Prof C, T. 
Jackson. Jn this article a patent is referred to as having been 
taken out by 1). W. Mesner for "separating the hulls from the 
cotton seeds," The yield of the unprepared and wooll}- seeds 
is very small, in comparison with what is obtained from those 
which have been hulled. Analysis are given of th<; oil, the 
seed, the cake, etc. Prof, Jackson says: ^^ Separation of the oil: 
In <jrrler to separatf; the fixed oil, pure either was employed, 
and it was found that one hundred grains of the dried pulver- 
ized seeds yielded in one experiment 39.7, and in another 40 
per cent, of pure fatt}' oil. By pi-essure, J was able with a 
small screw-press to obtain only thirty-three per cent, of oil j 



112 

but I have no doubt a more powerful one would have given a 
larger yield. The specific gravity of the oil which I obtained 
from the ethereal solution was 0.923 — water being unity. This 
is also the specific gravity of purified whale oil. Cotton seed 
oil is stated by Dr. Wood to be a dr3'ing oil, but that, which I 
have obtained does not appear to possess drying properties, 
serving perfectly well for the lubrication of machinery, and for 
burning in lamps, as well as for making soap. It will also serve 
as a substitute for olive oil in many cases, and perhaps may be 
eaten as a salad oil, for it has no disagreeable odor or taste." 

Chemical examination of the Oil Cake. — Linseed oil cake is well 
known both in Europe and in this country as valuable food for 
cattle, and as an excellent fertilizer — worth from forty to fifty 
dollars per ton for the latter purpose. On examining my cotton 
seed oil cake, I found it possessed a sweet and agreeable flavor, 
and was much more pure and clean than linseed oil cake. One 
hundred grains of the seed leave sixty grains of oil cake. This 
cake, examined for sugar, was found to contain 1.1 grains, and 
for gum, thirty-five grains were obtained. Iodine gave no proof 
of the existence of any starch in cotton seed, nor in the oil cake. 
Alcohol dissolves out the sugar, which is like that obtained from 
raisins, and is grape sugar. Boiling water dissolves the gum. 
and becomes very mucilaginous. The gum is precipitable from 
the water by means of pure alcohol. On the subject of paper 
from the cotton plant, I introduce the following coraniunication 
dated Carlowville, Ala., and signed C. F. Sturgis, 1863 : 

" Several years since I commenced experimenting with the bark 
of the cotton plant, (both of the root and the stalk,) and soon 
satisfied myself that it furnishes an admirable substitute for 
rags in the manufacture of paper, and is doubtless possessed of 
some advantages. Proceeding with my experiments, I finally 
invented a process (in many respects peculiar) adapted to the 
production of pulp from this material, visiting during the time 
the Bath Paper Mills and the Kock Island Mills for this pur- 
pose, as Mr. Walker, of the Bath Mills, can inform you. After a 
long series of annoyances, succeeded in procuring a patent 
from the United States Government, which is inoperative 
through or by reason of defective specifications, the fault either 
intentionally or unintentionally of m}^ agent, at least to a 
degree. I, however, continued my experiments, and since the 



118 

termination of the war made application for a patent for my 
amended specifications. 

" I am prepared to demonstrate to any intelligent body that 
the above named material furnishes an admirable substitute for 
rags in the production of Paper pulp, and that dispenses with 
some of the operations necessary with rags, and, therefore, will 
produce paper far more cheaply than rags can possibly do." 

A writer in the Jackson, Miss., Southron, urges most stren- 
uously upon the people of the South the advantages of cotton 
for making beds. Besides its greater cheapness, attention is 
called to its superior cleanliness, "vermin will not abide in it; 
thei'e is no grease in it, as in hair or wool ; it does not get stale 
or acquire an unpleasant odor as feathers often do; moths do 
not ini^st it as they do wool ; it does not pack or become hard, 
as moss does ; nor does it become dry, brittle or dusty, as do 
straw, hay or shucks. It is the cheapest, most comfortable 
and most healthy material for bedding." Cotton has been ex- 
tensively used both by whites and negroes in making mat- 
tresses and comforts during the war. See ^^ Zoster a" and 
^'■JRamie " for substitutes for cotton. 

It would hardly be desirable that I should furnish, in a work 
like this, very full instruction respecting the cultivation and 
handling of cotton, as it can easily be procured elsewhere. It 
is greatly to be hoped that manufactories wnll soon spring up 
everywhere in our midst which can use the raw material at 
their very doors, and thus obviously diminish our expenditures 
and increase our profits. 

Governor W. B. Seabrook, of S. C, has written, perhaps, the 
most full description of the cultivation of cotton, in a pamphlet 
IJublished a few years since. See, also, a paper on "Cotton " in 
new Am. Eucyclopoedia, which contains a full account of the 
trade, growth, manufacture, production, etc. 

Cultivation of Cotton. — With respect to the cultivation of up- 
land or short staple cotton, I must be content to give an abstract 
of the plan recommended by David Dickson, of Hancock County, 
well known as one of the most successful planters in Ofeorgia, 
and as published by him in a series of letters to Southern Cult- 
vator, for January, 1869. 

His method in brief is as follows : 



114 

Break the land deep before planting. If in a warm climate, 
cultivate the land flat, not on beds. At the second plowing, 
when the plant is about six inches high, give it a very deep 
plowing — sub-soil it if you can; after tiion cultivate with broad 
sweeps twenty-four inches across the wing, set to run very 
shallow or light harrows, so as not to break the small roots in 
the middle of the row, as the breaking of these roots is very 
fatal to cotton,. causing it to shed its fruit. In a cold climate or 
on bottom land plant on high beds, and keep them so in cultiva- 
tion, and be sure to leave a thick stand to prevent too large a 
weed. 

His formula for manures for both corn and cotton, is "Pure 
dissolved bones, land plaster and salt, crowned with the best of 
all manures, Peruvian Guano. Purchase the pure article and 
do your own mixing. For one acre, take : 

Peruvian Guano 100 lbs. 

Dissolved bone (' sup-Phosph.) without admixture of 

dirt.'— Eds) 100 » 

Salt 100 " 

Land Plaster 50 " 

all well mixed ; and when you lay off cotton, open at least eight 
inches, and deposit the manure along the furrow and bed as 
usual. [For corn open eight inches, drop the manui'e in hills 
three feet apart, drop the corn within three or four inches of 
the manure, cover all at once, about one and a half inches deep. 
Let it stand for four or five weeks without work."] 

The following contains an abstract of his method of cultivat- 
ing a lot of sixteen acres. He gives the details of the prepara- 
tion, manuring, planting, cultivation and production of a sixteen 
acre lot planted in cotton. As many may desire to know all 
the particulars, I will be as explicit as I can be in a letter: 

"First, the land is good pine land, and has been under the 
plow nearly seventy years, and as many as fifty-five years in 
cotton. About twelve years ago it was sown in oats, with two 
hundred lbs. of guano and bones mixed with salt and plaster, 
and made thirty or thirty-five bushels per acre ; all fed off by 
turning stock in the field. Four years ago I left it uncultivated 
until the middle of July — there was then a heavy growth of 
weeds on it, just grown. I turned them in and di'opped peas 



115 

in every third furrow. The result was u large crop of vines 
and at least fifteen bushels of peas per acre. These were fed 
off by beef cattle. 

" That, if you call it rest, is all the field ever had. The cot- 
ton was planted on the top of a level ridge. It was planted 
in cotton in 1866 — manured with about one hundred and fifty 
lbs. of bones and Peruvian guano each, and one hundred lbs. of 
plaster. I commenced the 3d day of May with two horses, to 
prepare the land, cotton rows four feet apart ; ran two furrows 
in the middle of each row, which stood open about eight inches 
deep, and applied to each acre two hundred and fifty lbs. solu- 
ble bones, one hundred and sixty-five lbs. No. 1 Peruvian guano 
and one hundred lbs. plaster. Salt being too high, I omitted 
that. The mixture was deposited in the bottom of the furrow, 
then covered with a long scooter plow, going about as deep 
as the other two furrows, then ran on the side of each scooter 
furrow with a good turning plow, going seven inches deep. 
After^reparing about six acres in this way, I opened with a 
small bull-tongue plow ; dropped the seed and covered lightly 
with a board — part of it with a harrow. I continued in this 
way until the lot was planted, finishing the 15th of May. 
The land being freshly prepared and a little dry, it did not 
come up well. The 25th of May, had a fine shower, and on the 
first morning of June there was a first rate stand. About the 
first of June I turned the plows back to finish the preparation, 
running a scooter (six ?) inches long in the bottom of each turn 
plow furrow, going seven inches deeper ; then ploughed up the 
old stalks with a large, long shovel plow, going under the old 
cotton stalks — making nine furrows to the row in preparing 
the land — taking nine days, with one horse, for every eight 
acres, which was equal to a full sub-soiling. The preparation 
was not expensive. Including planting, it was eleven days 
work to eight acres. 

"The cotton soon stretched up well. The first plowing was 
done with a heavy twenty-two inch sweep, (right wing towards 
the end nearly flat; the back edge of the wing about one and 
a fourth of an inch above the front edge in elevation.) I then 
hoed out to a stand, the width of No. 2 Scovell hoe, leaving one 
to three stalks in a hill. Cotton standing thick in the drill 
will be much forwarder than that which is thin. Give it the 
necessary distance between the rows. 



lu; 

"The second plowing was done with the same kind of sweep, 
with both wings elevated — the second and last hoeing followed 
in a few days. The third plowing ran one furrow in the mid- 
dle of the rows. The cultivation with the plow occupied one 
horse five days for each eight acres, which makes two days 
plowing for each acre, and about two days hoeing for the 
same. 

" The cotton grew so rapidly it did not need any more work. 
The lot averaged about (3,000) three thousand lbs. per acre, 
but owing to a storm and other causes, I gathered only (2,700) 
twenty-seven hundred lbs. and a fraction, which will make two 
good bales per acre. I picked one hundred bolls in two sepa- 
rate parts of the lot, at four o'clock in the evening of a dry 
daj". Each weighed twenty-one ounces. In the lot was an 
Irish potato patch that had been manured and mulched with 
straw twice. I think that portion made at the rate of six 
thousand lbs. per acre. The next best place was about one 
acre of old pine field, first year, which made, I think, about five 
thousand lbs. 

"If you expect such results, you must not cut the roots of 
the cotton. Cotton is a sun plant, as you will see by its turning- 
its leaves to the sun, as the latter moves through the heavens. 
So have a deep water furrow in the spring, work flat by 
hot weather, and on level land run the rows north and 
south. 

" The cotton would have been much better planted the 10th 
of April. 

" I found, during the wet weather, where the most manure 
was put it stood the best — especially the part that bad the most 
Peruvian guano on it. There was some rot, owing to the density 
of foliage and wet weather; some boll worm and caterpillar on 
about one-half of the patch. The seed planted was of the 
David Dickson, Oxford, Ga., variety, selected twice by myself, 
and would sell for more than the cotton if I did not wish to 
plant them myself" 

David Dickson, of Oxford, by his selections, has greatly im- 
proved the quality and productiveness of this variety of cot- 
ton. Mr. Peabody, on the contrary, has hybridized the "uj^lands " 
on fine sea island cotton, and has reached w^hat is esteemed by 
him a most valuable class of cotton. 



117 

At my request, Mr. J. W. E. Pope, of Bluffton, S. C, has drawn 
out the following account of the Cultivation* of the Sea Island 
or Long Staple variety of cotton. Though his experience is not 
as great as that of some others, he has made one hundred and 
fifty pounds round of fine cotton to the acre, using manures 
made on the farm. 

The sea island cotton is the plant which has been so carefullj^ 
cultivated since the abandonment of indigo along the shores 
of Cai'olina and Georgia, and more recently introduced into 
Florida. / 

This plant was first cultivated on the Island of Hilton Head, 
by Mr. William. Elliott, some sixty years or more ago. This 
variety of cotton affords the finest vegetable fibre known, its 
silky'staple reaching over two inches in lengtn. The selection 
of this cotton has so far improved its quality, that the seed of 
the most valued kinds have commanded one hundred dollars 
j>er bushel 'in gold. The finest quality of this cotton has com- 
nianded in market as high as seventy to ninety cents in gold 
before the war, and has sold during the present season at two 
dollars per lb. in currency. The most prominent selectors of 
this cotton, beginning with Mr. Kinsey Burden, are Joseph D. 
Edings, Josej^h J. Pope, Ephraim Seabrook, J. Jenkins Mikell, 
John F, Townsend, William G. Baynard, William Edings, 
Theodore Becket, Ephraim Clarke, Owens, Benjamin Godley, 
William Fripp — the two last confining themselves chiefly to 
selecting for more productive varieties. 

This plant requires, on the whole, a nicer cultivation than the 
uplands. 

Previous to emancipation the sea island fields were cultivated 
by "listing" down the old beds of the fallow land into the 
alleys. This was done exclusively with the hoe. Manures 
were applied either above or below this list, according to the 
fancy of the planter, the pressure of the manure in the field at 
time of "listing, or the character of the soil. 

This work being carefully done, the land was then bedded, or 
hilled up with the hoe, either with or without the plow, ac- 
cording to the wish of the planter, the strength of his laboring 

* Peter Gaillard on the Saiitee, in Berkeley Parish, S. C, carried the 
. culture of this cotton to perfection very soon after its introduction. His 
method has been published. 



118 

force or team. With the early and further crops, in the mean- 
time, it usually reqviired from the 1st to 15th February, up to 
1st or 18th April, to complete the fields for planting, much of 
this time being consumed in hauling out and distributing ma- 
nures on the field. The most approved time of planting was 
from the 6th to 15th April. 

The distance in planting was from under one foot to three 
feet and over, on rows averaging five feet or less apart, accord- 
ing to strength of soil and manures applied. 

The plants along the rows range from under one foot to two 
feet and more, according to strength of soil and growth of cot- 
ton. The most approved plan of planting consisted of from five 
to six seeds to the hill. These plants were afterwards thinned 
down to one or two plants to the hill — the more careful and 
judicious planters leaving but one stalk. The first working 
after the plant gets up for eight days or more, is a nice hoeing, 
when the bunches of young plants "are slacked" by carefully 
drawing out a portion of the same. 

The next working is what is called a " hauUng," or hilling up 
to the cotton, when the plants are reduced to two or three in 
the hill. Another "hoeing" or "hauling" is then given, when 
the plants are reduced to a "stand," or the number of stalks 
deemed proper to the row. The crop is then hoed or hauled, 
according to condition of the field, to the end of the season, it 
being deemed advisable to have the two last workings, at least 
the last, done by " hauling." The plow, in the meantime, is 
used or not, as the preference of the planter or circumstances 
may require. These fields were formerly thoroughly and beau- 
tifully attended with the hoe alone, and checkered with narrow 
paths a quarter of an acre apart, presented the appearance of 
a well kept farm garden. 

The last working was given from the 5th to 20th July. The 
sea island planters enriched their lands with marsh cane, and 
usually made their own manures, consisting of composts made 
of salt weeds or marsh grass, salt muck, leaves, drifted "marsh 
sedge" or dead marsh grass, washed in heaps on the shores, 
mixed sparsely with cotton seed strewn on the different layers; 
the whole drenched with sea water and soiled by cattle, each 
layer being strewed over with salt muck until the bed was 
completed. Stable manures were freely used and the fields 
soiled by running over them shifting pens of cattle. 



119 

The green salt marsh was also freely used, being cut in the 
summer and fall for next year's use. 

This cotton is prepared for market by what is known as the 
McCarthy Gin, propelled either by steam or horse power. This 
gin is of more recent use A few years ago the whole sea island 
crop was ginned out on treddle roller gins. 

The cultivation now pursued with this variety approximates 
more nearly the upland method, and with a moderate use of 
the hoe, the recurrence to manures formerly practiced, and the 
free use of approved mercantile manures, it is confidently hoped 
that these once beautiful fields will again gladden our genial 
shores. 

See P. O. Eep., 1857, and Tuomey's Geol. of S. C. for analysis 
of cotton plant, fibre and soil, by Prof C. T. Jackson and C. W. 
Shepard. 

The germinating power of some seeds reaches from one to 
forty years ; that of the cotton may germinate after being 
kept three years. See paper on vitality of seeds, and then 
packing for transportation in P. O. Eep., 1857. 

OSAGE ORANGE ; Bois d'arc, (Madura aurantiaca ;) N. 
America. Not included by Chapman in his Flora of the 
Southern United States ; position irregular ; it is allied to the 
Mulberry morus. 

From the P. O. Report, 1848, is an article taken from the Prairie 
Farmer, by Prof J. B. Turner. He says that the osage orange, 
the favorite hedge plant of the United States, has already become 
too well known to need any particular description. It grows in 
the wilds of North America, in regions further north than New 
York and further south than the Carolinas. It is usually in 
this country from ten to fifteen feet in height, though, like the 
English thorn, it is said sometimes to attain in its native soil a 
height of fifty and even sixty feet. Its utility as a hedge plant 
is no longer an experiment. Hedges of the rarest beauty and 
excellence have been growing in Boston, Philadelphia and Cin- 
cinnati, in Kentucky, Tennessee and Northern Missouri ; and, 
in short, in all the Middle and Southern States. Some of these 
hedges have been standing for ten or twelve years; they were 
planted by gentlemen of wealth and taste around their favorite 
walks and grounds at a time when the plants sold at the rate 
of five dollars per thousand. Among all who have written on 



120 

the subject, no unfavorable account has come to my knowledge. 
Great losses have been incurred with the seed, as might be ex- 
pected, but the plant and hedge are universally admired and 
commended, and it is confidently believed by the best judges 
that it will double the real value of any farm it surrounds. 
Eecent writers enumerate thus its many advantages: First, 
its tenacity of life is scarcely equalled ; it is a native of the 
prairies and will grow on any soil where common prairie grass 
will grow. Overflowing the land does not harm it. It will live 
for weeks and months entirely under water. The dead wood is 
exceedingly hard and durable, and fresh shoots from the stumps 
soon supply the place of all which have been killed by fire or 
cutting. Second, its protection is perfect. It is armed with a 
very sharp, stout thoi-n under each leaf. Its dense iron branches 
soon become so interlocked, that no domestic animtiJ, and not 
even a common bird, can pass through it. Both its thorns and 
its acrid bitter juice prevent all animals from browsing or 
feeding on its branches. Its seed is like the orange, and its 
roots like the hickory, consequently it can never spread into 
the field, either from the seed or root, but keeps its own place, 
growing stronger and thicker year by year. It thus perfectly 
secures orchards, fruit j'ards, stables, sheepfolds and pasture 
grounds from all thieves, dogs, wolves, etc., and one good gate, 
well locked, makes a whole farm secure from all intruders of 
whatever description. It may be trained so high as to afford 
shelter to stock, and break off the rough prairie winds from all 
grounds needing such protection. Plants may also be prepared 
so that it can be set in the open prairie without fence with 
perfect success. See, also, in Patent Office Keport, 1854, p. 419, 
an article on the best mode of cultivating the osage orange for 
hedges, and the volume for 1855, p. 315, on ''Live fences." The 
insects which feed on it are described, viz: a "chinch-bug," 
and the mole known as the gopher in southern Illinois. In 
Illinois contractors set and tend the hedge at one dollar a mile, 
till a good fence is produced. The juice of the osage orange, 
says Wilson, is exceedingly abundant, and flows freely from 
incisions, and quickly separates into a feculant matter, and a 
supernatant, clear liquid. The wood is uncommonly fine and 
elastic, and is used by the American Indians for making their 
bows. It seems well adapted to many purposes of turners. It 



121 

18 said to equal fustic as a yellow dye stuff, and may be much 
more easily produced. Eural Cyclopoedia. 

The Cherokee rose forms a most valuable hedge plant. A 
writer praises highly the "cabbage tree." See, also, Crab apple, 
(Cratcegus,) and Wild Orange, (Cerasus Carolin.,) in this volume. 

TILIACEtE. {The Linden Tribe.) 

They all have a mucilaginous, wholesome juice. 

T TTiTT,! mTiT:^r< n K oa TT[Tr\r\r\ 1 TiUa Americana, Linn.. T. 
LIME TREE; BASS WOOD, ^^^^^ ^.^.^ ^/^^^.^^^ ^r^,,,^ 

and Ell. Sk. An ornamental tree, found in the mountaiirvallcys 
from Florida to North Carolina; Ncwbern. 

Ell. "Bot. 22. The bark, when macerated, forms a strong 
cordage, used for domestic purposes. The wood is white and 
soft, and is used by carriage and cabinet-makers. 

The inner bark of the European linden, (jT. Europea,) forms a 
strong cordage. Doubtless our American species are also thus 
distinguished. Mills, in his Statistics of S. C, states that the 
inner bark of the Tilia Americana, macerated in water, may be 
made into ropes and fishing nets, and is a good application to 
burns. The plants or branches may be steeped in water for 
three months, dried and stripped ; for every purpose of cordage 
on the plantation or garden, this material will be found useful. 
It forms throjughout England the material for " bass," and is 
used by the horticulturist. The flowers of our American Tilia, 
sent to me from Pendleton District, S. C, I find quite as useful 
as the imported " TiUeul,'' a material for quieting, anti-spasmodic 
teas, which I have repeatedly seen prescribeci in France. It is 
particularly grateful and soothing to lying-in women : quieting 
nervous excitement, and pleasant to the taste. I would particu- 
larly recommend a larger use of these flowers in the Southern 
States. It can be used wherever a tea is required. The above 
remarks apply to T. pubescens also, which is indigenous. The 
wood of the T. Americana is white and soft. In the Northern 
States, where the tulip poplar does not grow, it is used for 
carved woi'k for the panels of carriage bodies and the seats of 
Windsor chairs. It is, however, apt to split, and is not con- 
sidered equal to poplar for such and other useful purposes. IST. 
Am. Sylva. 



122 

" Honej'-dow " is ijjenorally found most abundant on the Lirao, 
Sycamore and Booch trees. I have noticed it on the Cotton plant, 
and at times it covers the leaves of the Potato, Rye, Wheat, 
etc. 

It is, by some, supposed to be connected with the potato 
disease, thouiijh it abounds in swampy places. He^-wood says 
" it is owing to an excess of carbon in the plants," which could 
only occur in dry weather, when the other ingredients could 
not be furnished for it to combine with. I insert here an ex- 
tract from the Analectic Mag., Thilad., 1815 : 

"My design in this essa}' is to give a brief statement of 
certain facts relative to the appearance of the honey-dew in 
Carolina, which appear to militate against the received theories 
of its formation ; together with a concise view of the opinions 
of ancient and modern writers Avith regard to this peculiar 
substance. 

'• The production of honey-ilew is influenced b}' the season of 
the year, evidently by the state of the atmosphere. In Carolina 
it most frequently appears in the month of May or June, during 
a long absence of rain, and after a succession of wann days, 
alternating with cool nights. Early in the morning it is found 
on the leaves of plants, grapes, etc., of the consistency of diluted 
hono}', transparent, and resembling in taste the syrup of refined 
sugar ; the viscidity of it increases with the heat of the sun ; 
and about ton or eleven o'clock it ceases to be fluid, giving to 
the leaves a shining and glossy appearance. Situations, also, 
appear to influence the production of the honey-dew. I have 
observed it in the greatest abundance near the margin of stag- 
nant marshes, ponds and savannahs. In the District of Marion, 
South Carolina, is a morass extending fifteen or sixteen miles in 
length, and one or two in breadth ; it contains no ti-ees of con- 
siderable magnitude, except the cypress and a few perennial 
shrubs, but abounds with annual succulent aquatic plants and 
grapes. Xear the edge of this morass, during the season and 
state of the atmosphere alluded to, the honey-dew is produced 
in such quantities as to moisten every shrub, and to cover the 
grass. Horses, which fei d at large in the vicinity of the morass, 
may be found at eight or nine o'clock in the morning with their 
manes and tails agglutinated to a mass with this substance. 
The particles of pine leaves and grasses carbonated by the fires 



12'/, 

vthich HometimeH ravage exUjnwve tractw of country in March 
and April, are frequently ob»erved cemented with large maHMeH, 
and in HituationH whero, apj^arently, the honey-dew could not 
have droj>[M;d from overnhadowing treen. Swarrnn of becK in- 
habit alrnoHt every excavated tree; and from their honey the 
jK>or inhahitantH of thJH hlcrilc I'cgion dcrivo no inconhiderable 
wupport. 

" Fenega, in bin hiHtory of California, sayHthat Father Piccola 
ol>«erveH that in the rnonthw of April, May and June, there fallH 
with the dew a kind of manna, which bccomcH intipishatcd on 
the leaven of trecH. He adds that he tauten] it, and, though not 
80 whit<} aH HUgar, it had all the Hweetncf»H of it." 

CAMELLIK.^-:. 

TFA FJ^ANT, (T/iea viridis.) The introduction of the Tea 
plant \x\U) the Bouthern States \h ho important that I will, at any 
rate, endeavor U) give all Huitable references to sourcen of infor- 
mation *>r;oncerning itH culture, preparation, etc. See a pretty 
full account of the hiHtory of its production in the United States 
in F. O. Report, 1855, p. 42. The best mode of growing the 
plant, drying and preparing the leaves, is also described. 

For some account of the experiment in the cultivation of 
foreign tea in South Carolina, by Dr. Junius Smith, see P. O. 
ii<;port, 1848, p. 108, and 1859, p. G. See, also, vol. for 1857, p. 
Un, for article on "Practicability of the Tea Culture in the 
United States," A description is given of the varieties of soil 
and climate a^Japted to the growth of tea, its cultivation and 
preparation, with a notice of the plants set out in Washington. 
This communication should be read by any one who proposes 
entering upon the business of raising tea plants ; also, vol. 1859, 
p. 5, et. .Herj., containing successful experiments in Brazil. See 
litjd-root. New Jersey tea tree, (Ceanothm Americanus,) as a 
substitute. 

Among our indigenous plants, the Gardenia, ( G . pufjescens and 
lasianthuH, growing from Florida to North Carolina,^ belong to 
"the same natural family, Camelliese, an the tea plant, and they 
should be experimented with. Our Linden true, ( Tili.a Ameri- 
cana j the flowers of which are used in making an anti-spas- 
modic tea, is closely related to Gardenia and Thea ; so the 
botanical relationship and the natural properties are again sub- 



124 

stantiated. See Tilia. It is said that a pleasant tea can be 
inade likewise from the Holly, (JLlex opaca.) 

The introduction of both coffee and tea into Brazil was at 
first very )w, biit was subsequently successful. 

A writer in the "Country Gentleman" makes this state- 
ment : "A few days ago 1 drank a cup of real American tea, 
from the Chinese tea plant, of which Dr. J. P. Barrett, near 
New Market, S. C, has a fine shrub, about four feet high, which 
has borne fruit during several years. By its side was a thrifty 
specimen of the Olea fragrans, or Chinese olive, with which the 
tea is scented." I have seen plants of the Then growing out 
in the open air, near Stateburg, South Carolina, which bore seeds 
abundantly and were verj' flourishing. The seeds, at first sweet 
to the taste, soon prove nauseous and pungent, to a great degree. 
It was some time before I recovered from their disagreeable 
effects. 

In the cultivation of the tea in China, "the lower slopes of 
the hills are preferred, at 1,000 feet above the level of the sea. 
In India, from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. The best description of soil 
for the tea ]>lantis a light loam, well mixed with sand, and en- 
riched with vegetable matter, moderately moist, but neither 
wet nor sour. Sloping or undulating land of this kind, on 
which good crops of millet or Indian corn may be produced, is 
likely to be suitable. Any aspect will do, but east or west is 
preferred. The tea plant will not flourish in a wet or stagnant 
soil. When produced from seeds, the tea plant first flowers in 
the second j^ear. The usual period of flowering is in November, 
and the seeds ripen the next autumn. The ground is prepared 
for planting by being dug or trenched in the usual ways. 
Manure is rarely used in tea culture in China; but where the 
land is poor, stable-litter and sewage of all kinds are sometimes 
applied indiscriminately, in moderate quantities, and a top 
dressing of rich loam is considered valuable. The best time to 
apply manure is in the spring, before the plants begin to grow, 
or during mild weather in winter. When the plant is about 
eighteen inches high the leading shoots are pinched off, and the 
shrub is forced to throw out laterals. Naturally, it has a ten- 
denc3- to grow tall and straggling, with few side shoots. * * * 
As the leaves used in making tea are produced yearly at the 
ends of the shoot';, the object of this system of treatment is ap- 



parent. A small crop of leaves may be gathered the thii-d 
year after ))huitiiig. In the eighth or tenth year, the product 
may be considered at its maximum. AI)Out ten pounds to an 
acre is produced in China the third year, sometimes three hun- 
dred pounds in the tenth year." Art. cit. sup. 

A valuable but lengthy article on the cultivation of this plant 
has recently (1866; appeared in the Southern Cultivator, a 
standard agricultural journal published in Athens, Ga., from 
which I make the following extracts: 

" In March, 1860, I received fifty plants from the Patent Office. 
I kept them in pots until February, 1861. They were then 
planted, out five feet each way in a loose, sandy soil. They grew 
off very finely; in April, 1862, I made a small quantity of tea, 
and from that time to the present (1866) I have supplied my 
family with five or six pounds of tea yearly from fifty plants. 
The largest amount of tea produced in China, is raised in the 
lands lying between twenty-eight and thirty-five north latitude. 

" That the plant will grow and flourish as well or even better 
(although an exotic) through the whole of the States bordering 
the Atlantic and Grulf, from North Carolina to Texas, I have 
not the least doubt. All the lands of Middle Georgia and the 
Carolinas, which are now considered of little value for corn or 
cotton, can be made available, and grow tea to great advantage. 
In Middle Georgia and other regions the cultivation of cotton 
will decrease from this time onward. The truth of this fact is 
patent to all observers. 

"As before stated, I planted out tea plants in 1861. At the 
present time (1866) they are from six to seven feet high, each 
plant covering a space of seven or eight feet in diameter — so 
interlocking that it is with difficulty you can get between them. 
To estimate the quantity which one acre of land planted in tea 
would make, I selected a medium sized plant, and collected the 
leaves from it. The yield was one-fourth of a pound of tea. 
The number of plants to an acre, standing five feet each Avay, 
is one thousand seven hundred and sixty-four, which will make 
four hundred and forty-one pounds to the acre. Can we cul- 
tivate any plant that will compare with this? At fifty cents per 
pound it would make two hundred and twenty dollars per acre. 
Another very great advantage it has over all other crops is, 
that neither cold or heat, dry or wet, hail or winds, or insects 



12(> 

injure it. Whoever heard of a failure of the tea crop of China 
or Japan ? Of the quality of the tea I have made, I can only 
say that connoisseurs have assured me that they prefer it to the 
imported. Age gives flavor to coftoe — so with tea. Some that 
is two years old I find higher flavored than that recently 
made." 

MELIACE^. {^The Bead Tree Tribe.) 

Bitter, astringent and tonic properties characterize the species 
of this order. Some of them are active and dangerous. 

PEIDE OF INDIA; CHINA BEERY; PRIDE OF 
AMERICA, (Melia Azedarach, Linn.) Nat.; diffused ; grows in 
the streets of Charleston and North Carolina. Fl. May. 

Chap. Thorap. ii, 70; Ell. Bot. 475; Mer. and de L. Diet. 
deM. Mod. iv, 290; U. S. Disp. 135; Royle, Mat. Med. 308; 
Bell's Prac. Diet. 87 ; Eberle, Mat. Med. 207 ; Frost's Elems. pt. 
1; Archives Generales de Med. xvii, 112; Lind. Nat. Syst. 102; 
Coxe, Am. Disp. 128. Barton considered it our most active an- 
thelmintic. It is also a febrifuge, adapted to verminous fevers, 
where no worms are voided. Diet, des Dx'ogues, par Chevallier, 
iii, 27. Tournon relates a case where a little girl was thrown 
into convulsions by eating three of the seeds. Merat also 
mentions cases. Journal Gen. de Med. xlviii, 25; Gazette de 
Sante, Mars, 1824. I have frequently seen them eaten by 
children in South Carolina, with no bad eftect, though destruc- 
tive, it is said, to hogs. As an anthelmintic, four ounces of the 
bark of the fresh root are boiled in one pint of water, till it 
becomes of the consistence of coftee, of which from one ounce 
to half an ounce may be given every two hours; it may be drunk 
sweetened, and should be followed by a cathartic. The dried 
berries, in spirits, have also been employed against ascarides 
tape-worm, and verminous maladies generally. According to 
Thacher, the pulp of the berry, stewed in lard, is used advan- 
tageously as an ointment in scald head. The decoction of the 
leaves is regarded as astringent and stomachic, and Dr. Skyston 
says he uses it with success in hysteria. This plant is employed 
in Java and Persia. See Rev. Medicale, iv, 82. The tree is 
planted around stables, in order that horses, b}^ eating the 
berries, may be prevented from having "bots." The leaves and 
berries of the Pride of India, packed with dried fruits, will 



127 

preserve them from insects, and will prevent moths in clothes. 
The loaves of the cedar arc also useful for the same purpose. See 
Pmc/i for mode of preventing injury from wornls, where what I 
consider to be a very important suggestion is made. It is much 
valued in South (Jurolina as a shade tree, growing equally well 
in dry pine land residences, and in cities; during the expansion 
of the flowers, however, it gives out a disagreeable odor. It is 
easily blown down, and is not long lived. The wood is beauti- 
fully grained, and adapted for table covers, drawers, etc., never 
being injured by worms. A tea of the berries affects the eye- 
sight, f am told. 

A solution or decoction made with the berries of the Pride of 
India, (to a half bushel of the berries put into a barrel add 
fifteen gallons of water, and let them soak one or two days,) 
and sprinkled with a water-pot over the plant, will, in most 
cases, prevent the depredation of the black grub, or cutworm. 
The elder (^Samhucus canadensis) is also said to be excellent, 
used ir»» the same way. F. S. Holmes' So. Farmer. The oil 
from flaxseed (Linum) will also destroy all kinds of animals 
infesting quadrupeds, when rubbed into the skin. 

A soap is made from the berries of the Pride of India, which 
is called " Poor man's soap." 

The foUowjig was published in the Columbus (Ga.) Sun 
1863: 

China Berries for Horse and Cow Feed. — The writer has fed 
China berries to horses and cows for the past two seasons, and 
can perceive no bad effects from them — on the contrary, horses 
under this feed seem to improve better than whop fed on corn 
alone. In these times of scarcity and high prices it is worth 
while to give this feed a trial. In my opinion a bushel of 
China berries are nearly, if not quite, equal to a bushel of corn. 
The crop is very abundant, and now, before the winter rains, is 
the time to gather them. I give my horses a half a bucket 
full of the berries, with a small feed of corn, three times a day, 
and I boil the seed with peas or other feed for my cows. 
Horses are particularly fond of the berries. 

AUEANTIACE.E. (The Orange Tribe.) 

SWEET ORANGE, (Citrus aurantimn, W.) This well known 
tree is cultivated in Charleston, and grows abundantly in Beau- 



■ l:i.s 

Ibrt District, on the soacoiist; very productive in Florida, ami 
coast of Georgia. 

I will condense the followinuc from Griffith : In every part of 
the "Western States the orange tree is liable to be injured by 
frosts, and hence earinot be considered as a certain crop ; where 
this is not the case it is a most prolific plant, and the quantity 
borne by a single tree is sometimes enormous ; thus it is said 
that 20,000 have been gathered from one in St. Michael's, exclu- 
sive of those unlit for use, which may l)e calculated at 10,000 
more. 

The orange contains a large quantity of saccharine matter 
and mucilage united to an agreeable acid, and hence is whole- 
some, cooling and refreshing to the sick, especially in febrile 
and inflammatory eomjilaints, but should be used cautiously, as 
it is apt to disorder the stomach and bowels. The juice of this 
fruit contains citric and malic acids, the super citrate of lime, 
mucilage, sugar and water. The rind of the sweet orange is 
also used as a substitute for that of the bitter species, which is 
the true officinal article ; it yields by distillation a fragrant 
essential oil. The immature fruit is also employed for the pur- 
pose of making issue peas ; for this purpose they are turned 
smooth by a lathe ; they have an aromatic odor and a bitter 
taste, and are also employed to flavor certain cor(ftals. Accord- 
ing to Lebreton, they are composed of volatile oil, sulphur, 
fatty matter, a peculiar principle called hesperidin, bitter 
astringent matter, some traces of acids, vegetable and mineral 
salts, etc. 

The leaves have been employed by some practitioners as a 
remedy in many nervous disorders, and are said to have proved 
beneficial in epilepsy and chorea. They are aromatic and 
feebly bitter, and contain a fragrant volatile oil, which is pro- 
cured on distillation, principall}' employed by perfumers. The 
flowers are much more celebrated as remedial agents, in sub- 
stance, but moi'c especially in their distilled water. Orange 
flower water, as it is termed, has a very agreeable odor, but 
less powerful than that of the flowers themselves, and is in 
general use in Europe as an anti-spasmodic, and is considered to 
possess much power; its use in this countiy is limited, but is 
becoming more extended ; although not endowed with the 
active qualities ascribed to it. it forms a very pleasant drink to 



12U 

the sick, and exorcises a sootliing iufluence when the nervous 
sj'stem is unduly excited. An essential oil is obtained from the 
flowers, known as the oil of Neroli, much used as a perfume 
and in the manufacture of cologne and other scented waters 
for the toilet. See, also, Eisso's elaborate work referred to by 
Grifiith. The young shoots are regularly knotted and ai'e much 
used in the manufactui'e of walking canes. 

To obtain the fragrant essences from the fresh rinds of lemons, 
oramjes, etc., the rinds are rubbed against large lumps of loaf 
sugar until the yellow rind is completely absorbed. Those 
parts of the sugar which are impregnated with the essence, 
are, from time to time, to be cut away with a knife, and put 
into an earthen dish. The whole being thus taken off, the 
sugared essence is to be closely pressed, and put by in pots, 
where it is to bo squeezed down hai'd, have a bladder over the 
paper by which it is covered, and tied tightly up. It is at any 
time fit for use, and will keep for many years. Exactly in the 
same banner may be obtained and preserved, at the proper 
seasons, from the fresh roots, the essences of the rinds of bitter 
or sweet oranges, lemons or limes, bergamots, etc., some of 
which are often unattainable in a fresh state at any price. 
Thornton's Herbal, p. 659. By this simple means those who 
have, or can obtain lemons, may preserve the essence for. the 
preparation of cooling acidulous drinks at any time. Wine 
may also be made from the orange. Thornton, in his medical 
work, gives the method as follows: Put twelve pounds of pow- 
dered sugar, with the whites of eight or ten eggs, well beaten, 
into six gallons of spring water, boil them three quarters of an 
hour ; when cold, put into it six spoonsful of j-east and the 
juice of twelve lemons, which, being pared, must stand, with 
two pounds of w^hite sugar, in a tankard, and in the morning 
skim off the top, and then put it into the water ; add the juice 
and rinds of fifty oranges, but not the white or pithy parts of 
the rinds; lot it work all together two days and two nights ; 
then add two quarts of Rhenish or white wine, and put it into 
a vessel. 

In P. O. Rep., 1859, p. 106, is a communication on the pro- 
ducts of the Ionian islands and Italy. The following may be 
useful to those in Florida who raise the lemon in quantity : At 
Agrami, "the most considerable, and sometimes the most valu- 



130 

able portion of the fruit is Scarito, or that rejected as unfit for 
exportation, from which the essential oil contained in the rind, 
and the juice, or citric acid, in the pulp, are extracted. The 
essential oil is expressed by the hand, in a room from which 
the air is carefully excluded, as, owing to its highly volatile 
nature, the oil produced would be greatly diminished by cur- 
rents of air. The skin cut from three sides of the lemon is 
pressed between the thumb and finger, and ten or twelve ounces 
may be expressed in a long day by an expert workman. The 
oil thus expressed is put into large receivers, whence (after 
remaining some days to deposit the extraneous matter that 
comes off with the oil) it is transferred to copper bottles for 
exportation." 

" The juice, or citric acid, is obtained by submitting the pulp 
to a powerful press, which, though rustic in construction, is 
efiicient. This is worked during the season night and day. 
The quantity of juice produced from one press during twentj^- 
four hours averages 126 gallons. * * Lemon juice intended 
for exportation is put into well seasoned oak casks, and filled 
to the bung, so as entirel}- to exclude tbe air. When of a good 
quality, and the filling of the cask is completed, the article may 
be kept in a collar or cold place for any reasonable time." 
Lemon juice, used for calico printing, was afterward boiled down, 
or evaporated, in leaden pans, over steam, to a certain consis- 
tency — the citric acid and mucilage only remaining in a highly 
concentrated stage. Consult Mulberry (Morus rubra) in this 
volume. See P. O. Eep., 1858, p. 257, for Mr. Glover's report on 
the insects feeding upon it, and a history of the tree in Florida. 
See, also, Ure's Dictionary of Arts, article Citric Acid. To 
pi'event attacks of the ''scale," an insect, hot water or steam is 
the best remed3^ The Persian powder (see P. O. Rep., 1857, 
p. 129,) is also advised (Pyrethrum cancasicnm) — allied to the ox- 
ej^ed daisy {Ghrysanthevium leucanthemum) growing in the 
Southern States. 

LEMON, {Citrus limonum, Risso.) Dr. Grifiith gives the fol- 
lowing account of the properties of the Lemon : 

"The juice and rind are officinal. The rind has an aromatic 
and bitter taste, and an agreeable, fragrant odor ; these proper- 
ties are owing to the presence of a volatile oil and of a bitter 
principle. It is an aromatic stimulant, pi-incipally employed, 



131 

however, as a mere flavoring ingredient, being seldom or never 
administered alone. The volatile oil, oil of lemons, although 
carminative and diaphoretic, is more used as a perfume and to 
mask the taste of nauseous medicines, than as a remedial agent; 
some success has attended its employment as an external stimu- 
lant, especially in chronic inflammations of the eye. 

" The juice owes its sourness to the presence of the citi'ic acid 
it contains in combination with mucilage, exti-active matter, 
some sugar and water. Scheele was the first chemist who ob- 
tained this acid in a pui'e state. The process he devised is the 
same now employed, that of saturating the juice with chalk, and 
decomposing the citrate of lime thus formed by means of sul- 
phuric acid, when the vegetable acid is set free, and may be 
purified and crystallized. Citric acid thus obtained is extremely 
acid, but not as agreeable as the juice itself; it is, therefore, but 
seldom used in medicine when the latter can be procured. It 
is, however, largely employed in the arts. 

" Lemon juice, as being one of the most grateful of the acids, is 
much used in the formation of refreshing drinks in febrile com- 
plaints, and also in the preparation of eff'ervescing draughts. A 
mixtureof this made with one scruple of the carbonate of potash, 
dissolved in an ounce of water and half an ounce of lemon juice, 
taken in a state of effervescence, is advantageously employed to 
lessen fever, to check vomiting, and to diminish morbid irrita- 
bility of the stomach. But the juice appears to possess proper- 
ties of a higher order. Whytt found that given in half ounce 
doses it allayed the paroxysms of hysteria, and relieved palpi- 
tation of the heart. As a preventive to scurvy, this article is 
well known. The crystallized citric acid has been substituted 
for it, though it is not equal to the juice itself. In the West 
Indies and South America a cataplasm of the pulp mixed with 
common salt, is a usual remedy for the bites of venomous 
reptiles." 

I may refer, also, to the use of lemon juice, with olive oil, in 
the West Indies, in the treatment of j^ellow fever, and in large 
doses, as recommended by B. Jones and others in acute 
rheumatism. 

LIME, (Citrus acida.) Cultivated in warmer regions of 
Southern States. 

This is largely used in the preparation of citric acid. It is 



more aciil than the Leiuou. The C. decumaria, or Sluvdcloek, 
and C. heujantia, or Bergamot, are also cultivated. The former 
possesses a rind sm)erior to that of the Bitter Ahnoiul for ine- 
dieiiuU purposes, and tlio hitter the well known oil employed in 
perfumery. The rinds of all are n&ed in making preserves. 

BrrTEU ORANGE; SEVILLE ORANGE, (Citrus vulcjaris, 
Eisso.) Cultivated. 

The fruit is too bitter to be eaten. The leaves, flowers, etc., 
are used for the same purpose as those of the sweet Orange, but 
the volatile oils are said to be of a tiner quality. The rind is 
the officinal corttw (Uirdntii of the Pharmaoopooias, though that 
of the Orange is generally substituted for it in our shops. See 
Griffith, V. S. Disp., and authors. 

CITRON, (Citrus Medica, Risso.) Cultivated. 

This resembles the Lemon very closely. The fruit attains a 
great size. The rind is used to make a preserve; oil of Citron 
and oil of Cednvt are obtained from it, which are essential in 
comjiositit)n with oil of Lemon, and used in pert^unery. See 
Griffith, U. S. Disp., and authors. 

EIIAMNACEiE. (Tke Buckthorn Tribe.) 

NEW JERSEY TEA TRKE; RED-HOOT, i^Ceanothus 
Amcricanus, L.) Two varieties exist in the Southern States. 
Ditfused in dry pine barrens ; Richland; collected in St. John's; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 108; Ferrein, Mat. Med. iii, 338; U. S. 
Disp. 1240 ; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 291 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de 
M. Med. ii, 165; Boston Med. and Surg. Journal, 1835. See, 
also, the supplement to Mer. de L. Diet, de M. Med. 1846, 155. 
This plant possesses a considerable degree of astringency, and 
has been used in gonorrheal discharges. It is applied by the 
Cherokee doctors as a wash in cancer, and may be used wher- 
ever an astringent is likely to be useful. The Indians employed 
it in lues venerea, preferring it to lobelia; if the case was violent, 
the root of the blackberry (Rtibus villosiis) was mixed with it. 
Stearns' Am. Herbal, 97. Referi'ing to its anti-syphilitie powers, 
Ferrein says : "EUe guerit aussi en moins de quinze jours, les 
veneriens los plus inveteres." It is not now supposed to be 
endowed with an)^ very decided virtue in this respect. Dr. 



Hubbard prescribes it with advantage in the aphthous affections 
of infants, in malignant dysentery and in other maladies depen- 
dent upon debility; he usually combines with it a little borax. 
See Journal de l^harm. xxiii, 354. Mr. Tuomey, State Geologist, 
informs me that much use is made of it in domestic practice 
in Chesterfield District. An infusion of the leaves was employed 
during the war of independence as a substitute for tea. I have 
experimented with the leaves, and obtained a liquor somewhat 
resembling common tea, both in color and taste. It imparts to 
wool a fine, persistent, cinnamon, nankeen color. 

The above was included in my report on the Medical Botany 
of South Carolina, published in 1849. Since the beginning of 
the recent war I called the attention of our citizens to this plant 
as a substitute for foreign tea, in a brief communication, having 
again collected and used it, and induced others to do the same. 
I quote from this article: "Without any desire to exaggerate, I 
commend the substitute. It grows abundantly in our high pine 
ridgetf The tea, prepared from this shrub, drawn as common 
tea, is certainly a good substitute for indifferent black tea. 
Properly dried and prepared, it is aromatic and not unpleasant. 
I am glad to report it as an article to be used in war times in 
place of a high-priced commodity, which, in every respect, it 
resembles, if it does not equal." Dr. John Bachman, also, at a 
later period (1802) directed attention to the plant, stating 
that he had used it for two months in his own family. The 
leaves should be carefull}' dried in the shade. 

CAROLINA BUCJ<:TII0RN, (Frangola Caroliniana, Gray.) 
MillH, in his Statistics of South Carolina, states of Rhammus 
Carolinianus, that a purgative syrup is prepared from the 
berries; and of R. frangula, (Blackberry bearing alder,) that 
the bark dyes a yellow colf)r, and that from a quarter to half an 
ounce of the inner bark boiled in small beer is a sharp purge; 
used as a certain purgative in constipation of the bowels of 
cattle. 

CELASTRACEi5i:. 

STAFF TREE, (Celastrus scandens, L.) Mountains of N. C. 
and northward. 

Acridity characterizes the order, but the seeds yield an oil 
which is useful for a variety of purposes. The bark of this 
plant has considerable reputation in domestic practice as an 



KM 

omotit', ilisvuliont and jiiiti-syphilitic; it also ap]>oars to possess 
8omo narcotic powers, lliddol, in his Syn. Fl., slates that it is 
iisoii by the Thonisonians as a stinuilatiiii;" diuretic, and con- 
sidereil capable of reniovinsj; hepatic obstructions, (iritlith. 

EUPnOllBIACE.E. C-^hc Euphorlnum Trihc.) 

Tho general property, accordini<; to Jussicu, is an excitant 
principle, residing principally in the milky secretion, and pro- 
portioned in its strength to the abundance of the latter. 

1U)X, t^liiixus sempi'rvirenfi.) Fjx.; cultivated in gardens. 

Bergii, JNlat. MeU. ii, TIH) ; Ed. and Vav. Alat. Med. 51U ; Le. 
i, L'14; CTrilHths Med. Hot. tUVJ. The leaves have been atKrmed 
to bo violentlj'' purgative, and are employed as a substitute for 
guaiacuni. I>cni. KUmu. de Hotanique, iii, 434; Hull. Plantes 
Yen. de France. A fetid oil is obtained from it, and the wood 
is prized by engravers for thoir blocks. 

Tho timber-bearing box tree is planted in England from the 
seeds to great protit. Besides being ornamental, its timber is 
very valuable. It attains a great height in Turkey and Asia 
Minor, and the wood is used by tho engraver, and for tho manu- 
facture of combs and musical and mathematical instruments. 
It will grow on poor lands. One species of tho garden box is 
always dwarlish. 

BALSAM BEARING CROTON, (Oroton halsamifenim.) 
Willd. South Florida. 

This plant, C. nuimtimum, Walt., and several other species, 
natives of the Southern States, should be examined on account 
of their alliance with C. tii/lium, which produces croton oil. 
Cascarilla bark, and a dye, are obtained from the genus Croton, 
The resin known as lac is obtained from C. laceiferum. 

CASTOH OIL PLANT ; CASTOR BKAN ; PALM A ClIRIS- 
TI, ( fiicin us comm uuis.) Ex ; grows luxuriantly in rich spots. This 
valuable plant thrives so well in the Southern States that it might 
be made a source of pi'otit. On some of tho plantations tho 
seeds are boiled, and the supernatant oil given as a cathartic. 
It might with groat advantage bo more generally used. See 
medical authors passim. 

It is believed by some that one variety of the castor oil bean 
hulls itself spontaneous!}'. I remember no distinction of this 
kind mentioned in Pereira's lengthy description of the plant. 



i;{5 

Mr. W. Tonoy, a writer in the Southern Field unci Fireside, 
Hnyn "there are several varieties, all yielding castor oil, but 
only one kind which is self-hulling, and this is the true, genuine 
oil-hean." If this is so, I am not aware of it. I have only 
seen a large and a small seed variety, and no writer refers, so 
far as i.arn aware, to any other distinction. lie says that, for 
the common varieties, »omo machinery, like the cotton seedhuUer, 
is necessary to decorticate them. 

J have heen applied to to ascertain the relative value of the 
small and large-seeded variety. Pereira states that the oil is 
equally good and abundant in each. See, also, the Dictionnairc 
do Mat. Medicule. 

It is being planted extensively by planters for homo use in 
the Southern States, As it is important that this plant should 
be largely grown, on account of its great value and enormous 
consumption, I will bo at the trouble to insert some of the 
practical information at my disposal. 

A brief paper can be found in the Patent Office Report, 1855, 
p. 27. The writer says that the Palma (Jhristi "has proved 
itself well adapted to the soil and climate of the Middle and 
Southern States, and were its culture extended for the manu- 
facture of castor oil, there is no doubt it would be profitable 
under improved methods of extracting it, and we should no 
longer be dependent upon other nations for a supply. At 
j)reserit we annually import an amount of this article ex- 
ceeding in value 8;j(),000." 

Although an annual herbaceous plant in the gardens of the 
cooler parts of Europe and the United States, within the trop- 
ics, and the warm climates adjacent thereto, the Palma Christi 
becomes a tree of several years standing, often having a woody 
trunk of the size of a man's body, and fifteen or twenty feet 
high. This plant thrives best in a light, sandy loam, although 
it may be cultivated with success in almost any soil tolerable 
fertile, or in any climate or soil where Indian corn will thrive. 
In the cooler parts of the Union it may be planted in hills two 
feet by three apart, two seeds in a place, as early in the spring 
as the warmth of the ground and the season will admit ; but in 
the South, where the season is longer, and the plant assumes 
the character of a tree, the hills should be six or seven feet in 
one direction, and three and a half feet in the other, receiving 



18G 

one seed to a hill, covered to the depth of two inches. The 
culture is so simple, that it only requires to keep the plants free 
from weeds, with a small, flat hill to each. The only difficulty 
to contend with is, that in saving or harvesting the beans, the 
outward coats, as they become dry and elastic, fly off the plants 
to a considerable distance, causing the seeds to di'op to the 
ground. In order to prevent this, it has been recommended to 
cut off" the branches from the plants as soon as the pods begin 
to explode, and spread them on the floor of a close room ; and 
after the beans and their shells have parted, to separate the 
husks from the seeds with a fanning-mill, as with wheat, or try 
the common riddle and a draught of air. The oil is obtained 
both by decoction and expression. The former method is per- 
formed by freeing the seeds from their husks, which are 
gathered upon their turning brown, and when beginning to 
burst open are first bruised in a mortar, afterwards tied up in a 
linen bag, and then thrown into a large pot with a sufficient 
quantity of water, and boiled until the oil has risen to the sur- 
face, when it is carefully skimmed off, strained, and preserved 
for use. In extensive operations, a mill should be provided, 
moved by the agency of animal power, water or steam, for 
bruising the seeds; and the other apparatus used in obtaining 
the oil should be of appropriate dimensions. The oil thus ob- 
tained, however, has the disadvantage of becoming rancid 
sooner than that pi'ocured by expression. The best mode, 
therefore, is to subject the seeds to a powerful hydraulic press, 
in a similar manner to that in which the oil is extracted from 
almonds and cotton seeds. The seeds yield about one-quarter 
of their weight in oil. The reader interested in the varieties, 
mode of pressure, etc., of castor oil seeds, may consult with 
profit Merat and DeLens, Diet, de Mat. Med., Pereira's Mat. 
Med., the U. S. Disp., and in addition the material included in 
this paper; also, Ure's Diet, of Arts, article "Oils," and Wilson's 
Kural Cyc. 

I introduce the following, from an Essay on the Cultivation 
of Castor Beans, published, 1868, by the St. Louis Lead and Oil 
Company : 

" The cultivation of the Castor Bean is attracting considerable 
attention at the present time. Heretofore it has been cultivated 
chiefly for the Oil for medicinal purposes, but it is now coming 



137 

largely into demand for other uses. It is being used quite ex- 
tensively for lubricating, and as an excellent oil for the hair. 
For medicinal purposes its use is almost universal. 

^'Selection of tSoil. — Almost any soil that will produce wheat 
or corn, will answer for the castor bean. When it can be had, a 
sandy loam is preferable. The soil should be dry. Wet, heavy 
soils are not adapted to its successful culture. 

"One important fact in connection with the culture of castor 
beans is, that it is one of the most fertilizing crops raised. In 
this respect it surpasses even clover. Many fanners say, for 
fertilizing purposes, a crop raised upon land is worth several 
dollars per acre to the land, on account of the additional fer- 
tility gained by it. We have heard of landholders offering the 
free use of land to be planted with castor beans. 

" Preparation of the Soil. — The ground should be put in good 
condition for the seed as for other crops. One thorough plow- 
ing, and three or four harrowings, with a heavy harrow, will be 
a sufficient preparation. Fall plowing is undoubtedly de- 
sirable, as it more fully exposes the particles of the soil to 
the influence of the frosts and the atmosphere, thereby pulver- 
izing it, and preparing it better for the seed. Where a fall 
plowing has been bestowed upon the land, and another cross- 
plowing in the spring, thorough harrowing will put it in ex- 
cellent condition for a heavy crop. If the soil is inclined to be 
wet, it should be thrown into back furrows or lands, fifteen or 
twenty feet in width, and the dead furrows between these 
lands should be kept open for draining off all surface water. 
This is not more necessary for the castor bean than for many 
other farm crops, where the land is inclined to be wet. 

" Planting the Seed. — The ground is now laid off in rows, five 
or six feet apart each way, except that between every sixth 
and seventh row, a distance of about eight feet between the 
rows is left one way, to admit a horse and wagon or slide to 
pass, to take the beans when gathered. Hot water, somewhat 
below the boiling point, should be poured over the seeds, and 
they should remain in this water twenty-four hours before 
being planted. The temperature of the water will, of course, 
be gradually reduced to the temperature of the atmosphere. 
Applying the hot water once will be sufficient. If planted with- 
out this preparation, they are a great while in germinating, 



138 

many of them not making their appearance for three or four 
weeks. With this preparation they will soon germinate and 
come up regularly. Some farmers put in each hill one-half of 
those which have hot water poured over them, and one-half of 
those which have not ; so that if the cutworms destroy the first 
that come up, a stand may be obtained from the others, which 
will come up a week or two later. Good, sound, plump seed 
should be selected for planting. A half bushel will plant eight 
or ten acres. Eight or ten seeds should be dropped in each hill. 
But one, or at most, two plants are to be left in a hill. As the cut- 
worm is quite destructive to the plants, this number of seeds is 
recommended, so as to be certain of an even stand. Of course, 
replanting can be done; but it is better to avoid it, if possible, 
by planting plenty of seed. The seed should be planted as soon 
as all danger of fi'ost is over. The plants are as easily destroyed 
by frost as our common bean, and, therefore, planting should 
be delayed till after the first of May. 

^^ After Culture. — The cultivation of the plants consists in 
destroying the weeds and grass, and keeping the soil open and 
mellow. These objects are chiefly attained by using the horse 
and cultivator, or small plow, working between the rows both 
ways. It is also necessary to work among the plants with hoes, 
going over them two or three times, cutting the weeds away 
from the plants that cannot be reached with the plow or culti- 
vator, and drawing a little mellow earth to the plants, gradu- 
ally reducing the number to one plant in a hill, though two are 
occasionally left. One strong, vigorous plant, however, will 
produce better seeds than two, and as great a quantity. After 
the plant is two feet high, it is capable of taking care of itself, 
and grows rapidly. After heavy rains, however, it is still ad- 
visable to work between the rows with the horse cultivator, 
breaking up the crust that has formed on the surfiice of the 
ground, and opening and loosening the soil to derive a greater 
benefit from the atmosphere. It will be seen that the cultiva- 
tion is as simple as that of Indian corn, or of the common navy 
bean. 

^^ Harvesting the Crop. — About the first day of August the 
beans begin to ripen. They are produced in pods or husks, on 
spikes about eighteen inches long, and should be gathered as 
soon as the pods begin to turn brown, to prevent loss by their 



139 

popping out on the field, as the beans when ripe pop or burst 
from the pod quite a distance. They are gathered by cutting 
off the entire spike. Kach plant has a number of these, and 
they are produced and ripen in succession till frost. Of course, 
only those exhibiting brown pods should be cut. These spikes 
are then thrown into a wagon or on a slide, passing through the 
broad rows, and hauled away to the 

^^Bry Yard. — Which is made on a piece of land near the bean 
field, sloping to the south, so as to get as much heat as possible 
from the sun to ripen the beans and cause them to burst from 
the husks. Then roll the ground down hard and make a fence 
around the yard b}^ placing boards up against rails laid on 
crotched sticks or posts ; though the fence is not necessary if 
the yard is made large enough to leave a space outside the 
beans of twelve or fifteen feet, as many of the beans Avill pop 
that distance; and if the fence is not built, or the space left, 
many of the beans will be lost in the grass or field beyond the 
yard. * 

" The spikes are occasionally turned over and exposed to the 
sun, until all the seeds have left the husks, when the old spikes 
are taken away and a new supply added. The same process is 
gone thi'ough with the entire crop. Great care should be taken 
to prevent the beans getting wet. Dirty beans command but a 
small price, and sprouted beans are nearly worthless. When 
rain is anticipated, rake the spikes into a heap and cover them 
with straw or plank; sweep tbe beans up; clean them with a 
fanning mill, sack them up and store in a dry place. Do not 
attempt to pop them out in p>ots over the fire, as it renders them 
almost ivorthless. 

"After the beans begin to i-ipen, the field should be gone over 
once or twice a week till frost. In hot, dry weather, they 
ripen more rapidly than in cool, wet weather. Children can 
perform this work, and a large family of children cannot be 
more profitably employed than in taking care of a crop of castor 
beans. The work is all light. With a steady horse children 
might do all the work. 

"Farmers who raise but a few acres of castor beans will not, 
of course, go to the expense of fitting up a dry house, as the 
yard answers the purpose ; but farmers who raise fifty acres or 
more will save labor and expense by having a dry house for 
popping out the beans on the following plan : 



140 

^^ Dry House. — A common log hut or frame building may be 
converted into a convenient castor bean dry house by making it 
tight and constructing in it a drying floor, composed of narrow 
strips of board, carefully laid one-fourth of an inch apart, except 
those parts which are immediately over the stove and pipe, 
which should be laid close. This floor should be as near the 
ground as possible, but not so low as to impair the value of the 
building as a barn or place of storage. A window for taking in 
beans is made in one side of the house, two or three feet above 
the drying floor, and a similar opening in the first story would 
be very convenient. A large stove, for burning coal or wood, is 
set up near the front door, and the pipe, after passing to the 
rear under the drying floor and up through an opening in the 
same, returns again to the front, and is carried out through the 
roof. 

" With a large wood stove, having a pipe of proper size, the heat- 
ing power may be increased by carrying the pipe entirely around 
the building, three or four feet from the walls, before it passes 
up through the floor, and again to the rear, before going out 
through the roof. A damper should be placed in the pipe near 
the upper end to save heat and fuel. 

" The opening in the floor through which the pipe passes, is three 
feet square, and is protected by a boxing or curb to keep the 
beans from falling through. The space about the stove is pro- 
tected by a similar guard, and should be at least six feet square, 
as the front door opens into this area. 

"The beans on the spikes, as they are cut from the plant, are 
thrown through the Avindow upon the drying floor ; and as the 
bolls open the beans are stirred and fall through upon the ground 
floor, ready to be fanned and sacked for shipping. The hulls 
and spikes will make good fuel. 

" Frosted Beans — Are worth from one-half to two-thirds the 
price of good beans, but must never be mixed with them when 
sent to market, as a very few frosted beans in a lot of good will 
reduce the value very much, from the inability to separate them 
economical!}^. 

" Yield^ Price, etc. — The yield will depend much upon the 
culture bestowed upon the crop, upon the season, and the care 
exercised in gathering and ripening the seeds. From fifteen to 
twentj'-five bushels to the acre is an average yield. Some culti- 
vators will raise more, others less. Farmers will do well to pay 



141 

attention to this crop, for which a certain demand exists, and 
at remunerating cash prices. It will pay better than raising 
corn, potatoes, wheat, barley, or almost any other farm pro- 
duce. It is not a difficult crop to get tO market — can be taken 
by team, or sent by river or railroad, with more profit than 
most crops, as the value is greater for the same quantity. 

"Castor beans have also proved a profitable crop. The 
market price, however, has fluctuated considerably. The crop 
of 1865 was totally unequal to supply the demaud for oil, and 
prices reached the extraordinary figure of $5 00 per bushel. 
This stimulated the production and importation of foreign oil 
and beans to such an exteut that the crop and importations the 
succeeding year (1866) proved more than sufficient to supply 
the demand, and a small surplus was carried over to the next 
season. At the commencement of the harvest of 1866, the 
market opened at $3 50 to $4 00 per bushel, rapidly declining, 
however, as the extent of the crop was developed, until at one 
time 8£rtes were made at$l 50 per bushel, and advanced later in 
the season to $2 00 and $2 25. Importers of foreign oil suffered 
heavy losses; and whei-e their stocks were still " in bond," thvy 
were forced to ship to Europe for a market. Prices in 1867 
showed remarkable regularity, ranging from $2 00 to $2 40, 
with great steadiness during the season. 

"For medicinal purposes only, the demand for castor oil 
would undoubtedly be limited; but it is the best lubricator known, 
and at competing prices with lard oil would, doubtless, super- 
sede it in all cases where required for heavy bearings, and the 
demand would be nearly unlimited. 

" Flaxseed or Castor Beans, for seed, can be procured at the 
market price, which to-day is $2 25 for Flaxseed, and $2 40 for 
Castor Beans. 

"In more southern latitudes, circumstances would probably 
render it necessar}' to deviate from these instructions in regard 
to times of planting, harvesting, etc., etc., which any intelligent 
planter would at once discover. It is thought they are suffi- 
ciently explicit to enable any one to successfully attempt their 
culture." 

The Oil may be extracted from the seeds, (see U. S. Disp.,) 
in three ways: by decoction, expression and by the agency of 
alcohol. 



142 

The process? by decoction consists in bruising the seeds, pre- 
viously deprived of their busies, and then boiling them in water. 
The oil rising to the surftxce is skimmed or strained off, and 
afterwards again boiled with a small quantity of water, to 
dissipate the acrid principle. To increase the product, it is said 
that the seeds are sometimes toasted. The oil is thus rendered 
brownish and acrid, and the same result takes place in the 
second boiling if care is not taken to suspend the process soon 
after the water is evaporated. Hence the color of the West 
India oil, where this method is pursued. " The oil obtained in 
this country is by expression. The following, as we have been 
informed, are the outlines of the process usually employed by 
those who prepare it on a large scale. The seeds having been 
thoroughly cleaned from the dust and fragments of the capsules 
with which they are mixed, are conveyed into a shallow iron 
reservoir, where they are submitted to a gentle heat, insuflScient 
to scorch or decompose them, and not greater than can be 
readily borne by the hand. The object of this step is to render 
the oil sufficiently liquid for easy expression. The seeds ai'e 
then introduced into a powerful screw-press. A whitish, oily 
liquid is thus obtained, which is transferred to clean iron boilers, 
supplied with a considerable quantity of water. The mixture 
is boiled for some time, and the impurities being skimmed off 
as they rise to the surface, a clear oil is at length left upon the 
top of the water — the mucilage and starch having been dissolved 
by this liquid, and the albumen coagulated by the heat. The 
latter ingredient foi'ms a whitish layer between the oil and 
water. The clear oil is now cai*efully removed, and the process 
is completed by boiling it with a minute proportion of water, 
and continuing the application of heat till aqueous vapor ceases 
to rise, and till a small portion of the liquid, taken out in a vial, 
preserves a perfect transparency when it cools. The effect of 
this last operation is to clarify the oil, and to render it less 
irritating, by driving off the acrid, volatile matter. But much 
care is requisite not to push the heat too far, as the oil then 
acquires a brownish hue, and an acrid, peppery taste. After 
the completion of the process, the oil is put into barrels, and is 
thus sent into market. There is i*eason, however, to believe 
that much of the American oil is prepared by merely allowing 
it to stand for some time after expression, and then, drawing off 



143 

the supernatant liquid. One bushel of good seeds yields five or 
six quarts, or about twenty-five per cent, of the best oil. If it is 
not very carefully prepared, it is apt to deposit a sediment upon 
standing; and the apothecary frequently finds it necessary to 
filter it through a coarse paper before dispensing it. Perhaps 
this may be owing to the plan just alluded to, of purifying the 
oil by rest and decantation." U. S.Disp. The American castor 
oil, says Wood and Bache, is also prepared by mere expression, 
rest and decantation. See Bene, (" >SesamM?/i,") and Grroundnut, 
{'■'•Arachis") for oils and method of expression. 

The beaten beans may be used as a purgative, but an over- 
dose is sure to act powerfully as a cathartic, and often as an 
emetic. I have known cases of poisoning in children from 
eating the seeds. I may add, also, that to purify the oil 
of mucilage, which will render it rancid, it should be boiled 
in a little water; the mucilage being insoluble in the water, 
may be skimmed off. Any water remaining with the oil 
should 1)e evaporated, taking care not to burn or over-heat 
the oil in the process. Soubeiran considers that all processes 
in which heat is employed are objectionable, as a quantity 
of fatty acids is produced, which renders the oil acrid ; only 
too high a temperature should be avoided. Pereira says that 
in England the oil is expressed either by Bramah's hydraulic 
press, or by a common screw-press, in a room artificially 
heated. It is purified by rest, decantation and filtration. It 
is bleached by exposure to light on the tops of houses. In 
Calcutta it is prepared as follows, Pereira adds: The fruit is 
shelled by women, the seeds are crushed between rollers, then 
placed in hempen cloths, and pressed in the ordinary screw or 
hydraulic press. The oil thus procured is afterward heated 
with water in a tin boiler until the water boils, by which 
the mucilage or albumen is separated as a scum. The oil is 
then strained through flannel and put into canisters. The 
small seed variety is supposed to yield the most oil. Beans 
of ricinus are said by Boussingault to be about four times 
more rich in oil than either flaxseed, olives, or sunflower seed. 
He says that sixty-two pounds of oil can be procured in one 
hundred of the castor oil bean. It is stated that in Jamaica 
castor oil is often obtained by simply bruising the seeds in a 
mortar, and boiling them in bags under water — the oil rises to 



in 

tho surthoe, is skiiuinod otV. slrainod ami l>otllod t'ov use. Tltis 
was tho plan used on tho plantations in South Carolina during;- 
tiie war of iudopoudonce. It would not do for oporations on u 
large scale. See, also, Encyc. Britannica, art. "Kioiuus." Tho 
oil is oonsidorod good for illununating pur[H>sos. A writor in 
tho Southorn Cultivator, p. 2i>, vol. 7, rotors to tho disoovory of 
a process for separating stearine from tho puro oil in tho soods, 
and making tho formor into candles. 

Tho Calco loft after tho expression of castor oil is very ad- 
vantageously applied to land as a manure for wheat and other 
crops. An interesting eommunioation upon this suhjeet may 
be found in the tirst volume of tho Farmer's Register, from T. 
G. Peachy, Esq., of AVilliamsburg, Ya., tho results of wliose 
experiiuouts show the great value of the article. lu one ex- 
periment ho applied from tifty to sixty bushels per acre on 
seven and a half acres of land sown with ten bushels of wheat, 
and the product was twenty-six bushels of wheat per acre. In 
this case the land was so poor that not over five bushels could 
be expoeted from it without dressing. Ho recommends about 
forty bushels as an ordinary dressing. Mr. Peachy does not 
think the common impression correct, that the chief efficacy of 
the cake resides in the portion of oil which it retains. His 
press, he says, •• is a very powerful one, and leaves a very 
small portion of oil in the cake. There is, moreover, other 
refuse matter in such an establishment as ours, which contains 
a vast doai more oil than tho cake, which I have used as ma- 
nure, anil boon uniformly disappointed in its etfects. Accident 
has enabled mo, 1 think, to solve tho ditHculty, and to declare 
my belief that tho fertilizing qualities of the oil cake reside 
chit'fiy in the farina it contains. Some time last year, a vessel 
laden with flour was stranded near Jamestown, and the flour 
ruined. Mr. John Mann, who owns a farm in tho neighbor- 
hood, took two or three of the barrels and top-dressed a small 
portion of his wheat with it. I was not an eye-witness of its 
effects; but I was informed that it produced as groat an in- 
crease of that portion of his crop as my oil cake would have 
done. 

" Bj' experiment, I tind that fifty bushels of the cake will 
weigh 1,800 pounds; and of this quantity 1 have discovered 
that ton-eighteenths is farina or flour — equal to rive barrels of 



flour. 'J'Ik! cotton h(!0(J, I tliirik, contaioH rfior<; fariiiii, in jifo- 
j)oriion to tlio oil, tiiari the cantor boan, and, i believe, would 
]>ioduco jiH great an effect after being deprived of its oil an it 
would do in itH original Htate," 

'J'lie leavcK of tbe f-awtor oil applied to the breaHt of nurning 
women are rej>orted to be (jalacta<joqw, and to increa«e power- 
fully the flow of milk, and used for tbiw purpoHC in the West 
Jiidia iHlaridH. See Art. CharleMton Med. Journal. 

STINGING NIO'J'TLE, (Jatropka xtimalosa, Mx.) Gi-owh in 
dry pine land ; vicinity of Charleston ; collected in St, John's ; 
Jlicbland; Newbern. Fl. Aug. 

'I'Ik; IcavcH are prickly and highly irritating when applied to 
the skin. It might be employed like the nettle, ( Urtica,) as a 
counter-irritant in epilepsies and diseases requiring stimulating 
applications. The plants of this family furnish, generally, a 
stimulating and highly acrid oil and they should be examined. 

TIlIiKK SKKDKD MKRCUJiY, (Acaiypha Vmjinica, L.) 
Grows Th dry, fertile lands; vicinity of Charleston ; collected 
in St. John's H(;rk(;ley; Newbern. Fl. Sept. 

1011. Hot. Med. Notes, ii, 645, Said by Dr. Atkins, of Coosaw- 
hatchie, to bo expectorant and diuretic; he has employed it 
successfully in cases of humid asthma, ascites and anasarca. 

PhyUantkus niruri, L. S. Fla. Chap. 

It has a bitter and astringent root, succcissfully prescribed in 
Jaundice; half an ounce rubbed in milk, given twice a day, is 
said to effect a cure in a few days; and that both it and the 
young shoots are said to be diuretic; the leaves are very bitter, 
and are a good stomachic; Ainslie. Martial states that they are 
employed in Brazil as a specific in diabetes. Griffith. 

MANCIIINEEL, (Hippomane mancinella, h.) South Florida. 
C!hap, 

1 find it closely related to (Queen's JJelight, ( Stillingia,) and it 
belongs to the EuphorOiaceoe. Wilson describes it is a poisonous, 
evergreen, tropical tree, of the spurge family. It attains a 
height of eighty feet, and was esteemed a great curiosity in the 
liot-houses of Britain. The fruit is the size of an apple. A 
milky, caustic juice abounds in every part of the tree, and if it 
touches the human eye, is in danger of causing blindness; and 
if it falls on any part of the human skin, will blister it; if upon 
linen, it will make it black, and afterward eat a hole through 
10 



lit; 

it ; yet this forms, adds the author from whom I quote, sojne of 
the well known caoutchouc of commerce. The timber of the 
machineol is very durable and takes a tine polish, and is much 
esteemed for various kinds of cabinet-work; but the woods- 
men require to dry and consolidate it by suri-oundinjj; it with 
artiticial tires before felling the trees, else the}' might be blis- 
tered and blinded by its juice. And the cabinet makers must 
cover their faces Avith tine lawn while working it, else they 
might get their eyes inflamed, and temporarily blinded with its 
exhalations and sawdust. The fruit violently inflames the 
mouth and throat of any person who tastes it, and it is exceed- 
ingly dangerous. Any available part of the plant is so dread- 
fully active that it cannot, even in the smallest doses, be safely 
introduced into medicine. A notion prevails among the Ameri- 
cans that the dew which falls beneath the tree is inflammatory 
and blistering ; but this seems to be, the author adds, an absurd 
exaggeration. The name Ilippomane. signities horse-madness, 
ascribing to the tree a maddening ett'ect upon the horse. Hural 
Cyclopcedia. Its resemblance to our Stillingia, which is a mere 
shrub, is close, and the tree wants a careful investigation at 
the hands of those living in Florida. I have collected the milk 
from the Euphorbia and Aschpias and hardened it, though not 
in sutflcient amount to test its qualities. The salsity is said to 
yield a large amount of milk, which may furnish caoutchouc. 

QUEKN'S DELIGHT; YAW HOOT, (iStiUingia si/lcatica,h.) 
Collected in the pine barrens of St. John's Berkeley, in great 
abundance ; Kichland ; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. 
Aug. 

U. S. Disp. 687 ; Frost in So. Journal Med. and Pharm,, Oct. 
1816 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 535. Dr. Wood says 
that the Stillingia was introduced to the notice of the profession 
by Dr. T. Y. Simons, of Charleston. (Am. Med. Eecord, April, 
1828.) See, also, a paper by Dr. A. Lopez, formerly of South 
Carolina, in N. O. Med. and Surg. Jour, iii, -10; but Mills had 
stated in his statistics, published in 1824, that " the root acts 
as an emetic; it is a most powerful cleanser of the blood; 
used with complete success in diseases where this fluid has been 
corrupted. The properties of this root are invaluable." This 
plant exudes a milky juice, very pungent to the taste, and 
flowin<j: in ijreat abundance from the bruised surface. It is used 



147 

to some extent in South Carolina as an alterative in scrofula, 
in syphilis, in cutaneous diseases, in chronic hepatic affections, 
and in the composition of diet drinks; it adds to the efficacy of 
sarsaparilla. I am informed by physicians residing in South 
Carolina, that they have treated secondary syphilis successfully 
with it. It is believed to be possessed of valuable properties, 
and greater attention should be paid to it by those living in 
the country where it is easily obtained. A tincture is made 
with the root two ounces, of diluted alcohol a pint. Dose a 
fluid drachm. A decoction is made of the bruised root one 
ounce, water one and one-quarter pints. Boil to one pint. 
Dose, one or two fluid ounces several times a day; an overdose 
is cathartic or emetic. Dose of the powder fifteen to thirty 
grains. The milky juices should be examined. I have inspis- 
sated that from the Asclepias and Euphorbia. See these genera. 

Since the publication of the first edition of this work, I have 
employed the decoction of the root of this plant as an altera- 
tive inTsyphilitic sores, occurring in patients in the City Hospi- 
tal, Charleston, the spread of which nothing else could an-est. 
It proved completely satisfactory. Phagadenic chancres were 
rapidly cured under its use. A strong decoction was given 
three times a day with four drops of nitric acid in each dose. 
The following was published in the "Floridian" newspaper: 

" The herb known as Queen's Delight, (Stillingia,) is a sure 
preventive of chills and fever. It should be taken just before 
or just as the chill is coming on, and it will soon put the pa- 
tient in a profuse perspiration. The manner of preparing it is 
to make a strong tea of the root, cither in a green or dry state. 
Take doses of a wineglassful until it produces perspiration," 

TALLOW TEEE, {Stillingia sebifera, L.) Nat. from China; 
collected in St. John's, forty-five miles from the ocean. I have 
seen it growing abundantly near Charleston, on the King street 
road. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, dc M. Med. ii, 476 ; see Croton sebif. of 
Mich. An ointment made from this is applied in nocturnal 
fevers. The Chinese, according to Thumberg, employ the con- 
creted oil extracted from the plant, in manufacturing candles. 
The Reporters of the Patent Office, for 1848, speak very favor- 
ably of it, and recommend its introduction, seeming not to be 
aware of its being already found here. See their method of 
extracting; the oil. 



148 

In my report on the Medical Botany of South Carolina to 
the American Medical Association, in 1849, I had, as above, 
reported the fact of this tree being already naturalized. The 
seeds, when burned, give out a great deal of light. It could 
be planted with profit. In the Patent Office Eeport, 1851, p. 
54, there is also a paper on the uses of the S. sebifera, with a 
notice of the Pe-la, or Insect Wax of China. By D. J. Mac- 
gowan, M. D., dated Ningpo, August, 1850. In this article, it 
is stated that the Encyclopoedia Americana refers to its being 
grown along our coast. " Analytical chemistry shows animal 
tallow to consist of two proximate principles — sfearine and 
elaine. Now, what renders the fruit of this tree peculiarly 
interesting, is the fact that both these principles exist in it 
separately, in nearly a pure state." " Nor is the tree prized 
merely for the stcarine and elaine it yields, though these pro- 
ducts constitute its chief value: its leaves are employed as a 
black dye ; its wood, being hard and duj'able, may be easily 
used for printing-blocks and various other articles ; and, finally, 
the refuse of the nut is employed as fuel and manure." Dr. 
Eoxburgh, in his Flora Indica, had condemned the plant as of 
little value, because, in simply crushing and boiling the seeds, 
the two principles referred to as existing together are not prop- 
erly separated. I had myself, in my report, published in 1849, 
and also in my paper in DeBow's Review, x\ugust, 1861, recom- 
mended this plant to the candle and soap manufacturers for the 
large amount of oil it contained, and because of its abundance 
around Charleston. I also gave some of the seeds to a manu- 
facturer of castor oil, to experiment with, in 1851. I will now 
quote from the paper mentioned, and also refer the reader to a 
paper on the subject in the Charleston Medical Journal, by II. 
W. Ravenel. 

" The Stillingia sebifera is chiefly cultivated in the provinces 
of Brangsi, Kongnain and Chekkiang. In some districts near 
Hangchan, the inhabitants defray all their taxes with its pro- 
duce. It grows alike on low, alluvial plains and on granite 
hills, on the rich mould, at the margin of canals and on the 
sand}' sea-beach. The sandy estuary of Hangchan yields little 
else. Some of the trees are known to be several hundred years 
old, and, though prostrated, still send forth branches and bear 
fruit. Some are made to fall over rivulets, forming convenient 
bridges. They are seldom planted where anything else can be 



149 

conveniently cultivated — in detached places, in corners about 
hourtCH, roadH, canals and fields. Grafting is performed at the 
close of March, or early in April, when the trees are about 
three inches in diameter, and also when they attain their 
growth. The Fragrant Herbal recommends for trial the prac- 
tice of an old gardener, who, instead of grafting, preferred 
breaking the small branches and twigs, taking care not to tear 
or wound the bark. In midwinter, when the nuts are ripe, 
they are cut off, with their twigs, by a sharp, crescentic knife, 
attached to the extremity of a long pole, which is held in the 
hand and pushed upward against the twigs, removing at the 
same time such as are fruitless. The capsules are gently 
pounded in a mortar, to loosen the seeds from their shells, from 
which they are separated by sifting. To facilitate the separa- 
tion of the white, sebaceous matter enveloping the seeds, they 
arc steamed in tubs having convex open wicker bottoms, placed 
over caldrons of boiling water. "When roughly heated, they 
are reduced to a mash in the mortar, and thence transferred to 
bamboo sieves, kept at a uniform temperature over hot asbes. 
A single operation does not suffice to deprive them of all their 
tallow; the steaming and sifting are, therefore, repeated. The 
article thus procured becomes a solid mass on falling through 
the sieve, and, to purify it, is melted and formed into cakes for 
the j)resH. These receive their form in bamboo hoops, a foot in 
diameter and three inches deep, which are laid on the ground 
over a little straw. On being filled with the hot liquid, the 
buds of the straw are drawn up and spread over the top, and 
when of sufficient consistence, are placed with their rings in 
the pre.'^s. This apparatus, which is of the rudest description, 
is constractcd of two large beams, placed horizontally, so as to 
form a trough capable of containing about fifty of the rings, 
with their sebaceous cakes. At one end it is closed, and at the 
other it is used for receiving wedges, which are successively 
driven into it by ponderous sledge-hammers, wielded by ath- 
letic men. The tallow oozes in a melted state into a receptacle 
below, where it cools. ]t is again melted and poured into tubs 
smeared with mud, to prevent its adhering. It is now marketa- 
ble, in masses of about eighty pounds each, hard, brittle, white, 
opaque, tasteless, and without the odor of animal tallow. Un- 
der high pressure it scarcely stains bibulous paper; melts at 



150 

104° Fahrenheit. It may be regarded as nearly }Ma"o stearine ; 
the slight difference is, doubtless, owing to the admixture of 
oil expressed from the seeds in the process jnst described. The 
seeds jneld about eight per cent, of tallow, which sells for about 
five cents per pound. The process for pi'essing the oil, which 
is carried on at the same time, remains to be noticed. It is 
contained in the kernel of the nut — the sebaceous matter which 
lies between the shell and the husk having been removed in the 
manner described. The kernel, and the husk covering it, are 
ground between two stones, which are heated to prevent clog- 
ging from the sebaceous matter still adhering. The mass is 
then placed in a winnowing machine, precisely like those in 
use in western countries. The chaff being separated, exposes 
the white, oleaginous kernels, which, after being strained, arc 
placed in a mill to be mashed. This machine is formed of a 
circular stone groove, twelve feet in diameter, thi*ee inches 
deep and about as many wide, into which a thick, solid stone 
wheel, eight feet in diameter, tapering at the edge, is made to 
revolve perpendicularly by an ox harnessed to the outer end of 
its axle, the inner turning on a pivot in the centre of the ma- 
chine. Under this perpendicular weight the seeds are reduced 
to a mealy stale, steamed in the tubs, formed into cakes, and 
pressed by wedges in the manner described; the process of 
mashing, steaming and dressing being repeated with the ker- 
nels likewise. The kei'nels yield about thirty per cent, of oil. 
It is called ising-yu, sells for about three cents a pound, answers 
well for lamps, though inferior for this purpose to some other 
vegetable oils in use. It is also employed for various purposes 
in the arts, and has a place in the Chinese Pharmacoiiwia 
because of its quality of changing gray hair black, and other 
imaginary virtues. The husk which envelops the kernel, and 
the shell which encloses them and their sebaceous covering, 
are used to feed the furnaces — scarcely any other fuel being 
needed for this purpose. The residuary tallow cakes are also 
emploj'ed for fuel, as a small quantity of it remains ignited a 
whole day. It is in great demand for chafing-dishes during 
the cold season, and, finally, the cakes which remain after 
the oil has been pressed out are much valued as a manure, par- 
ticularly for tobacco fields, the soil of which is rapidly impov- 
erished by the Virginia weed. Artificial illumination in China 



151 

is generally procured by vegetable oils ; but candles are also 
employed by those who can afford it and for lanterns. In 
religious ceremonies no other material is used. As no one 
ventures out after dark without a lantern, and as the gods can- 
not be acceptably worshipped without candles, the quantity 
consumed is ver^' great. With an important exception, the 
candles are made of what I beg to designate as vegetable 
stearhie. When the candles, which are made by dipping, are 
of the required diameter, they receive a final dip into a mixture 
of the same material and insect wax, by which their consist- 
ency is preserved in the hottest weather. They are generally 
colored red, which is done by throwing a minute quantity of 
alkanet root, {Anchusa tinctoria,) brought from Shangtung, into 
the mixture. Verdigris is sometimes employed to dye them 
green. The wicks are made of rush coiled round a stem of 
coarse grass, the lower part of which is sJit to receive the pin 
of the candlestick, which is more economical than if put into a 
socket. Tested in the mode recommended by Count Rumford, 
these candles compare favorably with those made from sperma- 
ceti, but not when the clumsy wick of the Chinese is employed. 
Stcarine candles cost about eight cents per pound. 

WILD HIPPO; WILD IPECACUANHA, (Euphorbia cor- 
ollata, ]..) Collected in St. John's Berkeley, Charleston Dis- 
trict, in dry soils; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. Aug. 

Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 82; Bell's Pract. Diet. 199; Am. 
Journal Med. Sci. xi, 22; U. S. Disp. 321; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 
iii, 119; Royle, Mat. Med. 542 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
iii, 179; Clayton's Phil. Trans. Abrid. 331; Zollickoff«T, Mat. 
Med. 1819; cit. in Bart. loc. sup.; Coxe, Am. Disp. 272; Grif- 
fith Med. Bot. 59.^. It is emetic, diaphoretic and cathartic. 
Dr. Zollickoffer thinks that, as a diaphoretic, combined with 
Dover's powder, it is not inferior to ipecacuanha. Ho tried it in 
seven cases. Twenty grains of the powdered root would pro- 
duce emesis, sometimes followed by hypercatharsis. Mr. McKeen 
states that twelve grains of the root in substance have double 
the purgative power of an equal quantity of jalap. "Combined 
with opium and the sulphate of potassa, it is an excellent dia- 
phoretic in dropsy." See Diet, de Mat. Med. Dr. Frost, Prof. 
Mat. Med. South Carolina Med. Coll., thinks it quite as active 
as the ipecacuanha, and fully entitled to the consideration of 



; 152 

the profession, lie liaving used it with benefit in liis own prac- 
tice. "Even should they not be enij)loyed, every phynician 
should be instructed in their properties, and, -when occasion 
requires, know the substitute he can apply to in case of need." 
Op. cit. 82. A drachm to eiujhty or one hundred grains may be 
added to a half pint of hot water, which may he given in table- 
spoonful doses every five or ten minutes till vomiting is induced. 
This is a convenient mode of administration. According to 
experiment, the contused root will excite vesication and intlam- 
mation if applied to the skin. Maj. John LecoDte, of New 
York, informs me that he has been much pleased with its eifects 
as a sudoritic. Dose as an emetic, twenty grains ; as a cathartic, 
ten grains ; as a diaphoretic, four grains. This plant is easily 
obtained, and can be conveniently prescribed as a substitute 
for ipecacuanha. It should be used with caution in cases of 
insensibility of the stomach. 

CAROLINA HIPPO; CAROLINA IPECAC, {Euphorbia 
ipecacuanha.) Grows in Abbeville, Edgefield and Colleton 
Districts; Newbern. Fl. June. 

U. S. Disp. 223 ; Barton's Med. Bot. 120. An energetic and 
tolerably certain emetic; but liable sometimes to pi-oduce ex- 
cessive nausea by accumulation ; hence, thought by some 
writers "wholl}' untit to supersede the officinal ipecacuanha." 
This opinion, however, has been questioned by Ilewson, Royal 
and others. Barton said it was equal, and in some respects 
superior. Lind. Nat. Sj^st. Bot. 114; Shec. Flora Carol. 555; 
Mer. and de L. Diet. de. M. Med. iii, 182; Coxe, Am. Disp. 272 ; 
Schoept; Mat. Med. 7-4 ; B. S. Barton. Collec. 26 ; W. P. Barton, 
Veg. Mat. Med.; Griffith's Med. Bot. 592; Frost's Elems. 81. 
It sometimes has its action extended to the bowels, and operates 
with a considerable degree of activity. Dose as an emetic, 
fifteen to twenty grains ; as a diaphoretic, five grains. Bigelow 
notices among its constituents caoutchouc, resin, mucus and 
fa?cula. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 109. It is evident, from the variety 
of opinions expressed in relation to this plant, that it should be 
given with caution. Both species are considered to be more 
active than the imported ipecacuanha. 

SPURGE; EYE-BRIGHT, (Euphorbia hypericifolia, L.) 
Grows in the upper districts, according to Elliott; vicinity of 



153 

Charleston, Bach; collected in St. John's; found by Dr. Boykin 
in Georgia. N. C. Fl. July. 

U. S. iJisp. 321. Highly reco mraended by Dr. Zollickoffor, of 
Baltimore, in dysentciy, after due depletion. Used in diarrhoea, 
menorrhagia and leucorrhoea ; a half ounce of the dried leaves 
is infused in a pint of boiling water, of which a fluid half ounce 
must be taken every hour in dysentery, and the same quantity 
after every evacuation in diarrhoea, and two ounces morning, 
noon and night, in amenorrhoea, flour aJbus, etc. See, also, Mer- 
and dc L. Supplem. to the Diet, de M. Med. 1815, 282, where 
Dr. ZoUickoffer's success in twelve cases is referred to ; also, 
Am. Journal of Med. Sci. Nov., 1832; M. and do L. iii, 181. It 
possesses some nnrcotic power, also, which contributes to render 
it peculiarly applicable in these diseases. Journal Med. de la 
Gironde, 161, 1825. Martiue pays it has the same properties as 
the E. linearis, the milky juice of which is used in Brazil in 
syphilitic ulcers. He has often tested its value in ulcers of the 
corneair Journal de Chim. v, 427. The juice applied to the eye 
causes severe smarting, and it is thought to cause the severe 
salivation to which grazing horses are subject. From several of 
the spurge tribe a gum (euphorbiitm) is obtained by incision, 
which concretes by exposure to the air. It is a dangerous irri- 
tant, and has to be handled with caution. Mixed with siai-ch 
to weaken it, it may be used externally. Our Euphorbias should 
be examined for caoutchouc, and the juice investigated cai-efully 
and cautiously; so, also, the juice of the Stillingia. 

SPOTTED EYE-B RIGHT, {Euphorbia maculata, L.) Culti- 
vated soils; vicinit)' of Chai'leston ; collected in St. John's. N. 
C. Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, dc M. Med. iii, 184; Ainslie, Mat. Med. 
Ind. ii, 76. The juice is employed with great success in cleans- 
ing the cornea of the spots and pellicles (les pellicules) follow- 
ing small-pox. Mcrat says the ancients recommended these 
plants in diseases of the eye. Dr. ZoUickoffer speaks of this 
species, also, as possessing valuable properties. All are endowed 
with some emetic power. 

Euphorbia helioscopAa. Grows near the Horseshoe bridge, 
Ashepoo, and on Hutchinson's Island. See Ell. Sketch. Fl. 
May. 

Dem. Elem. de Botanique, ii, 21. "A valuable purgative." 



154 

According to Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 181, it is use- 
ful in syphilis when mercury is contra-indicated. Dr. Nonne 
assures the profession of its utility. See Bull, des Sci. de Fer. 
ii, 354. 

Euphorbia thymifolia, L. Included by Thomas Walter, in his 
Flora Carolina, among the Soutk Carolina species. Mich, saj's 
it grows on the Mississippi. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
iii, 188. In India the powder is administered in the verminous 
disorders of infants. Ainslie, Mat. Med. Ind. 275. 

Mercurinlis annua. Gi-ows around Charleston. Introduced. 

A poisonous, narcotic plant, with emetic properties, but 
less active than the M. perennis. Seeds purgative. It par- 
takes, to a certain extent, of the acrid qualities of the Euphor- 

biaceaj. 

CELASTRACE.F. 

DeCand. says an acrid principle has been detected among the 
species. 

BUENINGBUSH; STRAWBERRY TEEE; FISHWOOD; 
SPINDLE TREE, (Euonymus Aynericanus.') Rare; grows in 
swamps; collected in St. John's Berkeley. N. C. Fl. May. 

GritRth's Med. Bot. 220. Emetic, discutient and anti-syphi- 
litic. It is also thought to be narcotic. The seeds are said to 
be nauseous, purgative and emetic, and are used in some places 
to destroy vermin in the hair. The leaves are poisonous to 
cattle. 

WAHOO, {Euonymus atropurpureus.) Possesses properties 
similar to the above. 

Dr. Wood, in the 12th Ed. of the U. S. Disp., slates that Mr. 
G. W. Carpenter had introduced a bark some twenty years 
since as a remedy for dropsy, under the name Wahoo, he 
having obtained a knowledge of its virtues in the Western 
States. Dr. W. ascertained that it was derived from this plant, 
which must be distiuguished from the Elm of the Southern 
States, which is also called Wahoo. The bark imparts its 
virtues to water and alcohol. By analysis of Mr. W. T. Wenzel, 
it was found to contain a bitter principle, which he named 
euonymin, asparagin, resin, fixed oil, wax, starch, albumen, 
glucose, pectin and salts. (Am. J. Ph., Sept., 1862.) Mr. W. 
P. Clothier found the substance, which is the euonyviine of the 
Eclectics, to purge actively without griping. Dr. Twyman, of 



155 

Mo., informed Dr. Wood that he had found the bark, as a 
cathartic, rather to i*esemble rhubarb than to possess hy- 
dragogue properties, and he thought that he had obtained from 
it good results as an alterative to the hepatic functions. The 
decoction or infusion is used in dropsy, made in the proportion 
of an ounce to a pint of water, and given in the dose of a wine- 
glassful several times a day. TJ. S. Disp. See a paper by C 
A. Santos, upon the Am. species; Am. J. Pharm. xx, 80. 

STAPHYLEACEJD. {Bladder -nut Family.) 

THEEE LEAVED BLADDER-NUT, (Staphylea trifolia, L.) 
Damp woods. North Carolina, Tennessee and northward (Chap.) 

The nut of our tree resembles closely that of the S. pintiata, 
which is used in Catholic countries for making rosaries. 
Rosaries are also made of the seeds of the Pride of India tree, 
{Melia.) The nuts of the S. trifoliata resemble a large, inflated 
bladder. 

CyrilUi racemlflora, Walter. Grows in swamps and inundated 
lands; collected in St. John's, where it is found in abundance; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 295. The outer bark of the oldest 
shrubs, near the root, is extremely light and friable, and absorbs 
moisture. It has been used with advantage as a substitute for 
agaric and other styptics. I learn that it is much confided in 
for this purpose by those living in Darlington District, South 
Carolina. When rubbed on the hand, it produces a sensation 
similar to that ])roduced by the application of an astringent 
fluid. It has also been applied to ulcers when the indication is 
to cicatrize them. This plant merits further attention. 

TITI, {CUftonia ligxistrina, Banks. Mylocarium, Wild.) Pine 
barren ponds and swamps, Florida and lower districts of South 
Carolina and Georgia. 

The stems, when dried, are found to suit admirably for pipe- 
stems — a heated wire being passed through the pith. Much 
used by our soldiers in camps ; and noAv (1868) becoming to 
some extent an article of trade. 

CLUSIACE^E. {Balsam Tree Family.) 

YELLOW BALSAM TREE, {Clusiaflava, L.) South Florida. 
Wilson, in his Rural Cyclopcedia, says that the balsam tree, 



156 

Glusia rosea, grows in Carolina and in the AVest India Islands, 
"A balsam resembling turpentine exudes from every part of the 
tree, and has been much used as a plaster for the cure of sciatica. 
The West Indians call this balsam hog gum, from a belief that 
wild hogs rub themselves against it to obtain a cure of their 
wounds." 

""I Canella alba, 

WHITE CANELLA ; WILD CINNAMON, I ^JJ.^f ^• 

' ' [ Winterana 

J canella, L. 
South Florida. Chap. 

This is an aromatic tree, bearing black berries. Every part 
of the plant is aromatic ; the flowers retain much of their odor 
when dried ; and if they be moistened with warm water, the 
scent becomes very powerful, approaching that of musk. The 
bark gives out its virtues to alcohol and partly to water; but 
the infusion though bitter, has very little aroma. Petroz and 
Eobinet show that it contains volatile oil, resin, bitter extract- 
ive, canellin, gum, etc. lis properties are owing to the first 
three constituents, but principally to the oil which is used to 
adulterate oil of cloves. The canellin is a saccharine substance 
which is very analagous, if not identical with mannite. Ca- 
nella is employed to cover the taste of several disagreeable 
tasted articles of the Materia Medica, and enters into the com- 
position of the Pulvis Alues cum Canella; added to the tinc- 
ture or infusion of senna it covers the nauseous taste of those 
articles, and prevents them from griping. It is more useful as a 
condiment than a medicine ; Swartz says it is thus employed 
by the Caribs, and that it forms an ingredient of many dishes 
among the negroes. In Martinique the berries constitute the 
basis of a much esteemed cordial. The above account is sub- 
stantially that of Griffith. See, also, U. S. Disp., Swartz, Trans. 
Linn. Soc, i, 96, and Woodville's, Stokes', and Stephenson and 
Churchill's Medical Botany. 

POETULACACE^. {The Purslane Tribe.) 

GAEDEN PUESLANE, (Portulaca oleracea, Walter.) Grows 
in yards and rich soils; vicinity of Charleston ; collected in St. 
John's; Newbern. Fl. Aug. 

Linn. Veg. M. Med. 88 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. v, 
458. It is anti-scorbutic, diuretic and anthelmintic, and vaunted 



157 

as an antidote for poisoning from cantharides. According to 
Linnfeus, the herb was used in strangury. It will coagulate 
milk. The American Dispensatories do not vouchsafe it the 
same notice that it has received in various parts of Europe. 
It has long been used as a salad and potherb. The young 
shoots are gathered when from two to five inches long. Eural 
Cyclopoedia. A blue color is obtained from this plant. The 
following is given by an agricultural journal : Boil a bushel of 
garden parsley or purslane till soft, in an iron pot or kettle, and 
strain off the liquor ; boil a pound of logwood, also in iron, for 
two hours, strain off the liquor and mix the purslane water ; 
then dissolve half a pound of alum in soft water, sufficient to 
cover three pounds of yarn ; put it in a brass or copper kettle, 
and simmer the yarn in it for three hours ; then wring and put 
into the dye ; simmer this three hours, with frequent stirring. 
The depth of the color may be varied by varying the quantity 
of the^logwood. A very desirable blue dye is obtained. Sec 
Ohio and Southern Cultivator. 

Dr. C. B. Lucas, of St. John's, S. C, informs me (1868) that 
several children, and a dog also, were made sick, with vomiting 
and depression, from drinking the milk of a cow which had 
been fed on purslane. The same milk given to the dog on the 
next day again produced vomiting, which occurred almost in- 
stantaneously. 

SILENECE.E. {The Dianthus Tribe.-) 

Uniformly insipid. 

VIKGINIAN SILENE, {Silene Virginica, L.) Grows on the 
margin of roads; vicinity of Charleston ; collected in St. John's. 
Fl. June. 

Griffith, Med. Bot. 188; Barton's Collec. i, 39; U. S. Disp. 
1296 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 342; De Cand. Essai, 
94 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 125. The decoction of the root acts 
as an anthelmintic. 

SOAP WORT, (Sapo7iaria officinalis, Linn.) Nat. in upper dis- 
tricts ; Newborn. Fl. Aug. 

U. S. Disp. 1293. This plant imparts to water the property 
of forming a lather, from a principle it contains called saponin, 
which is allied to the active constituent of sarsaparilla, and as 
a substitute for which it is frequently used. This is obtained 



■ 158 

by treating the watery extract with alcohol and evaporating. 
It has been used in Germany in visceral and scrofulous affec- 
tions, cutaneous eruptions, and by some is thought superior to 
sarsaparilla in efficacy. The decoction, or the extract may be 
given. Wade's PI. Eariores, 32 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. 
Med. vii, 220 ; Flore Med. vi, 311. It is regarded as diuretic, 
aperient and sudorific, recommended in engorgement of the 
abdominal viscera, stomach, intestines, lymphatic glands, and 
in icterus, cachexy, etc. On account of its sudorific properties, 
it is advised in syphilis, rheumatism and gout. Perrihle gave it 
combined with mercury ; while fresh, administering it in doses 
of one-half ounce of the decoction, or from twenty-four to forty- 
eight grains of the extract. Journal de Chim. Med. vi, 747, and 
vii, 710; Ludom; Diss, de Rad. Sap. Offic. Erfordi®, 1756, J. P. 
Cartheusen, Diss, de Sap. Frankfort ; Amielhon, " Si le Stru- 
thium des anciens est veritablement la saponaire des modernes." 
Mem. Nat. des Sci. et des. Arts, i, 587, 

Dr. Wood states that Buckholz had obtained saponin from 
the dried root of which this principle constituted thirty-four 
per cent. (Jour, de Pharm. Ser. x, 339.) It is said to possess 
poisonous properties. The Soapwort is given as an alterative 
in the form of ^decoction and extract, which are taken freely. 
Audrj" says that the inspissated juice, given in the quantity of 
half an ounce in the course of a day, will generally cure gon- 
noi'hcea in about two weeks without any other remedy. Ac- 
cording to Dr. Bonnet and M. Malapert, this and other plants 
containing saponin are capable of producing poisonous effects. 
U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

A decoction of this plant has been used in some countries as 
a substitute for soap, and is well capable of cleansing woollen 
fabrics; the leaves were considered laxative. Wilson's Eural 
Cyc. Consult ^^ Sapindus" and ^' uEscidus," in this volume, for 
other plants used as substitutes for soap. The Sapindus (soap- 
wort) also furnishes one species, S. 7narginatus, which may be 
useful. Found in Florida and Greorgia, near the coast. 

BARILLA PLANT, {Salsola soda.) I would particularly ad- 
vise the planting in the Southern Statesof this plant, (cultivated 
so largely in Spain, Sicily and Sardinia,) on account of its great 
value in the ready manufacture of crude soda — which is now 
supplanting, on account of its cheapness, the use of potash in 



159 

the manufacture of soap. Besides, soda gives a hard soap. 
According to the analysis of Ure, "good barilla (Contains twenty 
per cent, of real alkali, associated with muriates and sulphates 
of lime, soda," etc. Caustic lyes made from it are used in the 
finishing process of hard soap manufacture. 

SALTVVOKT, {Salsola kali, L. >S'. CaroUniana of Walt.) It 
grows in Georgia and northward ; and I have little doubt is 
rich in soda, and may be made of great use to us in the pro- 
duction of this most important product. 

The barillas, Ure says, "always contain a small propoi-tion of 
potash, to which their peculiar value, in making a less brittle or 
more plastic hard soap than the fictitious sodas, may, with great 
probability, be ascribed." 

The following is the method of preparing soda from the Sal- 
sola: "Of manufactured soda, the vai'iety most anciently known 
is barilla, the incinerated ash of the Salsola soda. This plant is 
cultivated with great care by the Spaniards, especially in the 
vicinity of Alicant. The seed is sown in light, low soils, which 
are embanked toward the seashore, and furnished with sluices 
for admitting an occasional overflow of salt water. When the 
plants are ripe, the crop is cut doAvn and dried; the seeds are 
rubbed out, and preserved; the rest of the plant is burned in 
rude furnaces, at a temperature just sufficient to cause the ashes 
to enter into a state of seraifusion, so as to concrete on cooling 
into cellular masses, moderately compact," etc. "Another mode 
of manufacturing crude soda is by burning sea-w^eed into 
kelp." Ure. Crude soda, and the soda ash of commerce, are 
made altogether by the decomposition of sea salt. I am not 
aware whether our native Salsola kali grows in abundance upon 
the coast of the Carolinas and Georgia. See "Corn" {Zeamays) 
for economical mode of making soda from corn-cobs. Also, 
article " Kelp," in this volume. 

Directions for making " Home-made " Soda. — The Eichmond 
Dispatch publishes the following: "The preparation more 
closely resembles saleratus than soda, and is a comparatively 
pure article for making bread. It is more valuable in view of 
the scarcity and high price of soda in our drug stores. After 
making a strong lye from ashes, boiling down to dryness and 
burning till white, take the residue and add its own weight of 
cold water, set in a cool place for several days, say a week, 



1(50 

stirring frequently; then strain tlu-ough a tine cloth, and boil 
down again to dr^^ness, stirring frequently, and, fin all}', cork up 
the powder so obtained in a bottle. These operations should all 
be conducted in an iron vessel, not in glass or stoneware." 

I insert the following from a journal of the day, hoping that 
they may prove useful : 

" Soap Receipts. — In times of war and blockade, when people 
are thrown almost entirely upon their own resources, every 
item looking to domestic economy and home production should 
be carefully observed. Our people have passed through a try- 
ing ordeal, but they have learned lessons which will be of prac- 
tical utility in after times. Habits of economy, and elements of 
self-reliance, which have been pushed aside by the pressure of 
an extravagant sentiment, by an iiycreasing love for easy and' 
luxurious living, are now, from the influences of necessity, being 
resumed, while they are found to embody all of practical utility 
which they possessed in days of yore." 

Looking to the general principle of domestic economy and 
home effort, I annex the following receipts for making soap, 
which I find in the Wilmington Journal. One of these has been 
patented at the North. If tried, they will, no doubt, be found 
valuable: 

'^Family Soap. — Take six quarts of soft water, six pounds of 
bar soap, one-quarter of a pound of sal-soda, three teaspoonsful 
spirits turpentine, one and a half teaspoonsful hartshorn, one 
teaspoonful of camphor, two teaspoonsful of salt. Cut the soap 
up line, boil the water, and add all the ingredients, and boil 
thirty minutes; take off, and pour into shallow vessels to cool 
and harden. 

^^Another. — Five pounds bar soap, four pounds sal-soda, two 
ounces borax, and one ounce hartshorn. Dissolve in twenty- 
two quarts of soft water, and boil fifteen or twenty minutes. 

^^ Jelly Soap. — After pouring out of the vessel the above soaps, 
pour in Avater enough to wash off the sides and bottom, and 
boil twenty minutes. Then pour off to cool, and you have ex- 
cellent jelly soap for washing clothes, etc. 

" Soft Soap. — Take ten pounds potash well pulverized, fifteen 
pounds grease, and three buckets boiling water. Mix, and stir 
potash and water together until dissolved. Then, add the 
grease, stirring well ; put all into a barrel, and every morning 



lf)l 

add two buckets cold water, stirring it well each time, until the 
barrel is nearly full, or mixed to the consistency of soft soap." 

Consult Hickory, (Carya,) for manufactui-e of potash and pot- 
ash soap from ashes. 

SPUEREY, {Spergula arvensis. "Walt.; Linn.) Grows in 
cultivated lands, lower country of South Carolina; vicinity of 
Charleston ; collected in 8t. John's. 

Mer. and de L. Diet. de. M. Med. vi, 497 : " Cows which feed 
on it give milk of a richer quality, and in larger quantities." 
The seeds of a variety of this plant growing in Germany con- 
tinue green during fall and winter, are far superior to pasture 
grasses, and yield an oil suitable for lamps upon expression. 
They are also ground up with rye, and used for making bread. 
Poultry eat spurrey in any form, and are thought to become 
very prolific of eggs when fed upon it. Eural Cyclopoedia, and 
Thaer's Agricultural Chemistry. 

CHICKWEED; STITCHWORT, {Stellaria media, Smith.) 
Introduced. Yards and gardens. 

The herbage is greedily devoured by hogs, and is said to be 
nutritive, and suitable for being boiled and eaten in the manner 
of spinach. It has the reputation, when boiled in vinegar and 
salt, of possessing virtue to cleanse eruptions of the hands and 
limbs. The flowers serve, in some degree, as a natural barome- 
ter, for when rain is approaching ihoy remain closed, and in 
dry weather they are regularly open from about nine o'clock in 
the morning till noon. Wilson's Rural Cyclopoedia. 

X ANTHOX YL A CEiE. 

The species belonging to this order are generally aromatic 
and pungent. 

^ Americanum, T. and Gray. 
PRICKLY ASH; TOOTH- [fraxineum, Willd. 
ACHE BUSH, {Xnnthoxijlum.) \ramiflorwn, Mich. 

J Clava Herculis, Linn. 
Barham's Hortus Americanus. The scraped root is applied 
to ulcers in order to heal them. The plant possesses stimu- 
lating powers, and is a "powerful sudorific and diaphoretic;" 
remarkable, according to Barton, for its extraordinary property 
of exciting salivation, whether applied immediately to the gums, 
or taken internally. It is reported to have been used success- 
11 



162 

fully in paralysis of the muscles of the mouth, and in rheumatic 
affections. Also, in low forms of fever ; the tincture of the 
berries being sometimes employed as a carminative in doses of 
ten to thirty drops, increasing the quantity when its stimulating 
effect is desired. Dr. King, of Cincinnati, states that it was 
beneficially employed in cholera in teaspoonful doses. See Dr. 
Bates' article ; Tildeu's J. Mat. Med., April, 1867. Mer. and de 
L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 179; Journal Gen. de Med. xl, 226. Dr. 
Gillespie asserts that it is a good tonic and febrifuge. Accord- 
ing to Cam, the Indians employed the decoction as an injection 
in gonorrhoea : "Voyage to Canada." It has been given in 
syphilis as a substitute for guaiacum, and also for mezereon. 
See Anc. Journal de Med. ii, 314. A peculiar principle, xantho- 
picrite, is afforded by it. U. S. Disp. Its acrimony is imparted 
to boiling water, and to alcohol. According to Dr. Staples, 
besides fibrous substances, it contains volatile oil, a greenish, 
fixed oil, resin, gum, coloring matter, and a peculiar crystalliza- 
ble principle, which he calls xanthoxylin. The latter is given in 
doses of two to six grains. Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. i, 165. 
It is stimulating ; producing, when swallowed, a sense of heat 
in the stomach, arterial excitement, and a tendency to diapho- 
resis. It enjoys considerable reputation in chronic rheumatism. 
Dose of powder from ten grains to half a drachm. It has been 
tried by many with advantage in this disease. Barton's Collec. 
i, 25, 52 ; Thacher's Disp. sub. A. spinosa ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 
iii, 162. A fluid extract is also prepared and given in doses of 
fifteen to forty-five drops. (Tilden's Jour. Mat. Med.) In rheu- 
matism an infusion is given, made of one ounce of the bark to 
one quart of boiling water; one pint to be administered in 
divided doses during the twenty-four hours. Rep. from Sur- 
geon-Gen. Office, 1862. It should not be confounded with Aralia 
spinosa, sometimes called prickly ash. 

X. Carolinianum, Lam. and T. and G. JC. tricarptwi, Ell. Sk. 

This species is supposed to be possessed of similar properties 
with the above. It is the Prickly Ash of the Southern States. 
T. and G. 

Chapman, in his Flora of the Southern States, does not in- 
clude X. Americanum among our Southern plants, but what is 
said of the medicinal properties of X. Americanum, applies to 
this plant. 



163 

These plants have the reputation in America of bein^ power- 
fully sudorific and diaphoretic, and excite copious salivation, 
not only when made to act directly on the mouth, but when 
taken internally, and have been found highly efficacious in para- 
lysis of the muscles of the mouth. Rural Cyc. This may ac- 
count for their utility in toothache. 

I have ascertained (1868) that the decoction of this plant is 
extensively used by physicians in South Carolina as a remedy in 
dropsy. In a letter from a medical friend, he reports to me an 
aggravated case which recovered under its use. A saturated 
tincture of the berries or root made with whiskey is also 
given. 

HOP TREE, (Ptelea trifoliata, L.) Fla. and northward. 
Chap. N. C. 

A small genus of shrubs peculiar to America and India. 
This species is said by Schoepf, Mat. Med. Am., to be anthelmin- 
tic, a string infusion of the leaves and young shoots being used. 
The fruit is aromatic and bitter, and is stated to be a good sub- 
stitute for hops. 

SIMARUBACE.E. (Quassia Family.) 

ALIANTHUS, (Alianthus glandulosa.) Cultivated. 

M. Hetel, of Toulon, France, has ascertained that the pow- 
dered bark, in doses of seven to thirty grains, are very eflScient 
in the expulsion of the tape-worm. The volatile oil obtained 
from it is so powerful that persons exposed to the vapors in 
preparing the extracts, are liable to be seized with vertigo, cold 
sweats and vomiting. The resin is purgative. 

The tree also assumed great importance in an economical 
point of view; its leaves having been found to be suitable food 
for a species of silk worm, {Bombyx Cinthia,) imported from 
China. (Journ. de Pharm. Mars. 1859.) U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

Some suppose that the emanations from the leaves cause 
fever. 

QUASSIA, (Simaruba glauca, D. C.) South Florida. A 
large tree. Chap. 

This species of quassia, though not the officinal, should be 
examined for any bitter tonic properties it may contain and for 
quassin. 



16i 
GEEANIACE^. {The Geranium Tribe.) 

Characterized by an astringeBt principle, and an aromatic or 
resinous flavor. 

CRANESBILL; CROWFOOT; ALUM ROOT, {Geranium 
maculatum, Linn.) Diff'used. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 137 ; Coxe. Am. Disp. 304; Eberle, Mat. 
Med. i, 382; Bell's Pract. Diet. 218; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 189; 
Thacher's Am. Disp. 224; TJ. S. Disp. 350; Royle, Mat. Med. 73 ; 
Bart. M. Bot. i, 140; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 751; Am. 
Journal Pbarm. iv, 190; Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. i, 171; Ed. 
and Vav. Mat. Med, 135 ; Schoepf, Mat. Med. 107 ; Barton's Col- 
lec. 7; Cutler, Mem. Am. Acad, i, 469; Mer. and de L. Diet, de 
Mat. Med. iii, 369; Journal Pharm. xiii, 287. It is a powerful 
astringent, adapted to passive hemorrhages, chronic diarrhoea, 
and cholera infantum. It is injected with advantage in cases 
of gleet and leucorrhoea, and is used as a wash for old ulcers. 
Bigelow speaks of it as a very powerful astringent, very similar 
to kino and catechu, and a useful substitute for the more ex])eD- 
sive articles. It forms an excellent local application in sore 
throats and ulcerations of the mouth, and is adapted to the 
treatment of such discharges as continue from debility after the 
removal of their exciting causes. Coldcn and Schoepf also 
speak highly of the root in dj^sentery; and Dr. B. S. Barton, in 
cholera infantum, used the decoction, in milk. Eberle was suc- 
cessful with it, in his treatment of aphthous affections of the 
mouth, and of ulcerations of the fauces and tonsils. Griffith, 
Med. Bot. 209. The absence of unpleasant taste and other of- 
fensive qualities, remarks Dr. Wood, rendei-s it peculiarly ser- 
viceable in the cases of infants and persons of very delicate 
stomachs. By Staple's examination. Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. 
i, 171, it contains tannin, gallic acid, mucilage, a small propor- 
tion of amadin, and red coloring matter; from the bark, a small 
quantity of resin and a peculiar crystallizable principle. 

Dose of the powdered root in substance, is twenty to thirty 
grains, one to two ounces of the tincture, and ten to fifteen 
grains of the extract. The decoction is made by boiling one 
ounce of the root in one pint of water, the dose of which is one 
to two tablespoonsful. The extract is said to be the best form ; 
alcohol and proof spirits, however, readily dissolve the active 



165 

principle, and the tincture keeps best. The resinoid Geranin, 
as prepared by the Am. Chem. Institute, is given in doses of 
five grains to an adult, or one grain every hour, to arrest intes- 
tinal discharges. They use a solution of this powder in hema- 
turia and as awash in apthous sore throat; as a wash to the 
eye and in ointments where astringents are required. Dose of 
Tilden's extract, three to fifteen grains, 

ZYGOPHYLLACE^. (Bea7i Caper Tribe.) 

Guaiacum sanctum, L. S. Fla. Chap. 

This possesses the same properties as the G. officinale, Lignuni- 
vitae or Guaiacum, but in a minor degree. The wood is paler and 
lighter, and is seldom imported, unless mixed with the true 
Lignum-vita), and as an adulteration of it; may be distinguished 
by the smaller size of the billets, and the less decided green 
tint of the heart wood. Grifiith. The uses of Lignum-vitae 
and thefqualities of Guaiac as a medicine, its action on the kid- 
neys in araenorrhoea, and in rheumatism and gout, are well 
known. 

BALSAMINACE.^. (The Balsam Tribe.) 

According to De Cand., the species are diuretic. They are 
chiefly remarkable for the elastic force with which the valves 
of the fruit separate at maturity, expelling the seeds. Lind. 

TOUCH-ME-NOT; JEWEL WEED, {Impatiens pallida, 
Nutt.; T. and G. Noli me tangere, Ell. Sk.) Grows in inundated 
swamps; vicinity of Charleston; collected in St. John's. Fl. 
July. 

Bull Plantes Ven de France, 166: "The whole plant is very 
acrid, and is used as a cataplasm." Elem de Bot. iii, 58. Six 
grains of the dried leaves will produce nausea. The U. S. Disp., 
1264, speaks of it as a dangerous plant, possessed of acrid 
properties; when taken internally, acting as an emetic, cathar- 
tic and diuretic. 

OXALIDACE^. (The Sorrel Tribe.) 

Leaves generally acid. 

WHITE WOOD-SOEREL, (Oica^zs acetosella, L.) Mountains of 
North Carolina and northward. Chap. 



UH5 

'Vhc plnnt is t\ vorv ngrooablo ami \Yholosomo sahut, aiul pos- 
sesses i-etViiijerant, anti-seorbutie, ami anti-septie pn^perties. The 
juiee eoagulates milk, ami preoipiiates liino tVotn solmii>n. 
When boiled in milk, it ixives olV its aeidulousness to the whey ; 
and either this whey, or the expivssed juioe oi' tl>e plant, miu'h 
diluted with water, may be used as a gvUHl retVii;eiaut diink in 
levers. KuralCye. The herb is powert'uUy and n\ost aiiiveably 
aeid, making a retreshini:: and wholesome eonsorve with tino 
suixar; its tlavor resembles ureen tea. 

Dr. Wood states that it owes its aeidity to bino.ralate of potassa, 
whieh is sometimes sepanited for use, and sold under the 
name of salt of sornl ; the piveess of makimx whieh is furnished 
by him. It is sometimes ealled essential salt oC lemons, and is 
used lor removing iivn mold and ink stains. This and other 
speeies are refrigerant ; and he also adds that their inliision or 
u Avhey made with them in milk, may be used as a pleasant 
drink in tebrile and intlammatory diseases, and the fresh plant 
eaten raw is useful in seurvy. U. S. IMsp., 12th Kd. 

riKrLK AVOOP-SORUKL. yOxalis violacea, L.-) Cirows 
in rieh soils; vieiuity of Oharloston ; ooUeeted in St. John's. N. 
C. Fl. May. 

U. S. Oisp. tU5. It eontains the oxalate ol' potash, whieh im- 
pai'ts to it its pleasant, aeid taste. 

Oxalis corniculata, L. O.valis furcaUi, Kll. Sk. A'ieinity oi 
Charleston ; similar in jnvperties to the Ox. violacea. 

ROSACE.E. (The Bose Tiihe.) 

^«one ot' the s}HH'ies are unwholesome; they are generally 
characterized by the possession oi' an astringent principle. 
The sub-order. A>ni/ijdal(iv, are better known for yielding Prus- 
sie or hydroeyauie acid. 

Potentilla, (canadensis.^ Grows in meadows, in lower and 
upper disti'icts; St. John's, South Carolina. 

Dr. Kiehard Moore, o{' Sumter District, South Carolina, in- 
forms me that this plant, on account of its bitter, mucilaginous 
qualities, has been found, by repeated experiment, to be a most 
etlieient and usetul remedy in the treatment of chi>>nie colds, 
threatening phthisis. The decoction is used, lie refei-s to the 
plant as the F. reptans (?). 



1(37 

JUNEBP:RRY; high bush blackberry, (Rubusvlllo- 
sus, Aii.) Diffused; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; Xewbern. F\. May. 

Eberlc, Mat. Med. i, 386 ; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 453 ; Ed. and Vav. 
Mat. Med. 1.34; Royle, Mat. Med. 374; U. S. Disp. 603^; Ball, 
and Gar. Mat. Med. 267; Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 160; Chap. 
Therap. and Mat. Med. ii, 474 ; Thacher's U. S. Disp. 341 ; Lind. 
Nat. Syst. 144 ; Barton's CoUec. ii, 157 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 270. 
Bigelow considers it a powerful astringent, and is satisfied of 
its efficacy, administered both internally and externally, in a 
variety of cases admitting of relief from this class of remedies. 
Dr. Chapman also speaks highly of it in the declining stage of 
dysentery, after the symptoms of active inflammation are re- 
moved ; he asserts that nothing in his hands had done so much 
to check the inordinate discharges in cholera infantum — two or 
three doses sufficing to bind up the bowels. The decoction is 
made q£ one ounce of the root in a pint and a half of water, 
boiled down to one pint, of which the dose for a child is two or 
three teaspoonsful ; for an adult, a wineglassful several times a 
day; orange peal may be added. Dose of the powdered root, 
twenty or thirty grains. No analysis has j^et been made I 
have little doubt, from my own examinations, (see Liquidambar,) 
that the astringency is owing to tannin. I have frequently 
used a tea made of the roots of the Blackbeny to check the 
diarrhoea of teething children, and in refractory cases of dysen- 
tery, after mercurials and other treatment had been employed, 
and have always been pleased with the result. I consider it one 
of the most useful of our astringents. 

Dr. Sneed, of Ga., (So. Med. Surg. J, 1867,) maintains that its 
usefulness in disorders of the bowels, does not depend princi- 
pally upon the tannic acid it contains, but that its most power- 
ful effect, in these instances, are attributable to the bitter, 
stimulant, or tonic properties, distinct from its astringent effects. 
He avers hat a small quantity of the fluid extract taken into 
the stomach increases the appetite. lie also uses the bark of 
the root grated in water in diarrhfjeas. Tilden's Journ. Mat. 
Med. Aug. 1867. 

I have known cases of chronic diarrhoea and dysentery which 
recovered after using a strong tea of blackberry root, which 
had resisted other and persistent efforts for their relief; and I 



168 

have had cases of similar benefit folloM'ing its employment, de- 
tailed to me by others. 

In the old work on " Herbs," by Nicholas Culpepper, gentle- 
man, "Student in Physic and Astrology," the author observes 
of one of the genus Riibus : " Either the decoction or powder 
of the root being taken, is good to break, or drive forth gravel, 
and the stone in the reins and kidneys." " The berries, and the 
flowers, are a powerful remedy against the poison of the most 
venomous serpents." P. 48. 

I have noticed a yelloio fruited variety in Fairfield District, 
S. C, at Aiken's place near Winnsboro'. 

I received the following communication from Eev. M. A. Cur- 
tis, in answer to inquiries on the subject : 

"The White Blackberries, so-called, generally of a dirty amber 
color, are occasionally mot with in different States, from New 
York to Carolina. The 'New Eochelle' of the gardens, is of 
this kind. One found in North Carolina is coming into culti- 
vation. Its only advantage is that it makes a prettier jelly than 
the black." 

LOW BUSH DEWBERRY ; CREEPING BLACKBERRY, 
(^Riibus trivialis, Mich.) Diffused ; vicinity of Charleston ; col- 
lected in St. John's; Newborn. Fl. April. 

Watson's Pract. Physic, 820; U. S. Disp. 603; Pe Mat. Med. 
and Thcraj). ii, 543 ; Roylo Mat. Med. 375 ; Chap, on Dis. of 
Thorac. and Abdom. Viscera, 279 ; British and For. Med. Re- 
view, January 31, 1845; Ball, and Car. Mat. Med. 268. This 
is, no doubt, ])Ossessed of astringent pi-operties similar to the 
above; a decoction of the root is said to be a safe, sure and 
speedy cure for dysonter}' — a remedy derived from the Oneida 
Indians. 

As Blackberry wine is much used as a substitute for more 
costly foreign wines, I will introduce the following receipe for 
making it, communicated by Mrs. Summer, of South Carolina, 
which was said to have been introduced from Virginia by the 
Rev. Richard Johnson. Blackberry wine, as well as cordial 
made from the wild cherry, is a pleasantly stimulating beverage, 
useful as a cordial, capable of being medicated and very ser- 
viceable in families, as well as in camps and hospitals. It can 
easily be made with whiskey, or this may be omitted. It is 
only strange that so useful and pleasant a drink, and one 



HJ'J 

within Iho reach of every one, should, until recently, have been 
80 little made : " To every three pints of berries, add one quart 
of water ; suffer it to stand twenty -four hours, strain through 
a colander, then through a jelly-bag, and to every gallon of the 
juice add three pounds of good brown sugar, the whites of 
thi'ee eggs beaten to a froth, and stirred in the juice; a little 
spice, with two dozen cloves, beaten together, and one nutmeg 
grated, should be put in a small linen bag and droi)ped in. 
After all are mixed, put it in a stone jug, filled up, and kept full 
with some of the same juice, reserved for that purpose, until it 
is done working, which will be in two or three weeks, Cork it 
tightly, and keep it in a cold place for three or four months, 
then pour it off into bottles, with a little loaf sugar in each 
bottle; cork and seal close. If the wine is kept for twelve 
months, it will be still better." It is not easy to over-value the 
great utility of so mild an alcoholic drink, combining slightly 
astringent vegetable properties and which may be placed 
within the reach of almost every one. 1 have seen this wine of 
such an agreeable flavor and taste as to be preferred to more 
valued wines. Cheap, good wines are certainly the greatest 
boon that could be conferred on any country. Sec "Grape," 
Vitis, and " Apple," Pyrus. 

The following is an approved method of making Blackberry 
ivine, in vogue in St. John's Berkeley, South Carolina. I insert 
it in a work of this kind for its general utility, and as it forms 
an appi'oved liquor which "cheers but not inebriates." Black- 
berries, six quarts ; boiling water, two quarts; brown sugar, 
two pounds. The whites of six eggs frothed, added when the 
jug is nearly full. Mash the berries, pour in the water — let it 
remain twenty-foui" hours. Sti'ain through a hair sieve and add 
the sugar. Leave the jug open for two weeks, until fermen- 
tation ceases — a glass of alcohol may then be added. An addi- 
tional pound of sugar would probably secure the wine from 
the acetous fermentation. 

The following modification is considered the most sure means 
of securing a good result: To every three quarts of berries 
well mashed add one quart of boiling water — some prefer to add 
no water ; allow it to remain twenty-four hours ; strain through 
a hair seive ; to every gallon add two pounds of brown sugar — 
to every five gallons add the white of four eggs well beaten ; 



l.O 

tUl iho juj;; koop s^otno of tho {uvpurntiiMi niul julvl to tho jujj 
ovorv nvorniui;- utuil tonjuMitsvtion vH^asos. tl\vM\ jul^l ono glass of 
aUH^hol. ov>rk up (ijjhily until tho month ot' Mjuvh. koopinjj it in 
aiHH^ plaoo. Tho noxt is vorv sit»»plo, it* jj>^oii. 

fiUiK'li^ny \ViH<\ — Tho t'ollowinji- is said to bo an oxoollont 
ivoipo txM* tho ma»>utj»otm\^ of suporior wino fri>m hlaokborrios: 
Moasuw tho Ivrrios wml hruiso thorn, to ovorv jjallon addinij 
ono tpjj»rt of boilinii' wator; lot tho twixtiuv staml twonty-lour 
hours, stirrinv: oooasiottally ; thon strain otV tho liquor into a 
oask. to ovorv jjallon addiiig two pounds of suijar; tH>rk tiijht 
atul lot stand till tollowinj* t.>otobor. and you will havo wino 
ivady tv^r uso, without aj\y t\irthor strainiuii- or boilinj:^. 

A ov>rr\*spondont in tho Mobilo Uoijistor givos tho t*olIowiui;- 
mothiHi of makinji' blaokborry ooniial: 

"(\>»\fi".i//\»r v^ii"AHf.<,< in th<- .lr«»y. — To alloviaio tho svitVorinsjs 
and porhaps shvo tho livos of tnany of v>ur soKlioi-s. whoso siok- 
noss may bo ti*aovHl to tho uso of unwholosonto wator itt linu>- 
stot\o ri^ii-iv>tts, 1 rvH-onmtond tho uso t>f blaokborrv ootxlial. Tho 
toUowinii" is a i:>>vHl tvoipo : Hruiso tho borrios auvl strain tho 
juioo thnnigh a baij ; to oaoh quart of tho jui».H> allow a half 
pound of loal suijar, a hoapv\l tO{ispovM»t\il of powdorod oin- 
x\an\ott. tho Sivmo of powdoivd oK>vos and a iirjittHi nutmoij; boil 
thoso inj;r\\iionts t\t\oiM» or twonty minutws skimminn' thonv 
woll. Whot\ o<.>ol. stir into oaoh quart a half pita of brandy ; 
thon bottlo atui ivrk woll. lit oaso bmutdy and loaf suijar 
oatiuot bo had. substituto ijvH>d whiskoy ami suijar houso mo- 
lassos. 

" (\>w/H>M«</ iSyi-Mj* of JihH'kbcrricii — M^iicitttd BhickUrrie;si 

rsot\il as a drink itt diarrhan\. and ti> supply soldiors in oamp, 
oithor as a tvn\ody in mild oasos of diarrhoea or as a vohiolo tor 
modioinos. fo two quarts of tbo juioo of blaokborrios, add 
half an ounoo oaoh of ointtanuMi. allspioo and nutmo>;^. anvi otto 
vjuartor of an ounoo of olovos. woll pulvorir.od. Boil thom t«.>- 
ijothor for t\t\oon to twonty minutos in a prv^sorvo pan or kottK\ 
to l:^^t tho stnM\ijth of tho vspioos; strain thnniiih a piooo of 
tlamtol, thon add loaf supir to mako vorv swoot, atul whilo 
still hQt add to ovory two quai'ts of tho juioo onopittt of bnutvly. 
Tho doso of this tor an adult is about two tablospoot)st\il n^ 
poatod. t.^no-titVh portiot\ of tho mixtutv is bratidy.' 

Tho tollowing substituto tor tho spiood syrup of Uhubarb, is 



171 

H'lvo.tt by \)r. I'arriHfi, (I'nii-i, |'harfnfu;y p. 2'{0,; nH*'A in tli<5 
<littfTli'i;a or f;hil'in;»), JJlackborry root ^'-Mku- hpt'/^f.Hj t-'tf^itl 
oniuu-.n; cinniifnon, cAovan and uitiuuip^n, nH^ih ihrw drfmhutH ; 
HUi/sir, four poiindM; wsihr, four pif)f> — boil tli<; rootn anrj th<! 
arojnuf,icH in t,h<; wuf^r for ori<; lioiir, <jxpr<'>H an'J strain, tb';n 
{kJ'I iJxj migor, rorm a f-ynip jju'J again hirairi, tb<;fi a'Jd VnsUcM 
bran'Jy, kix flui'J ouucMr., oil ol r;lov<;n aii'i oil of cinnafnon, of 
<;a''b four dropH, 1)om<; for a ';liil'J of two y<;ar»< ol'l a l';at^poori- 
ful — a tabU;Ki)OOfj for an adult, U> be r(rpr*at<;fi. 

Tb<5 blacl<b<;rry root \n an <ja«ily obtain<^i and valuabW; an- 
trifipj<;rit, A d<;cof;tion a*!t« a« an aHtrifi;<«;nt, and will (-.Ut.c.U 
diarrhoia. 'I"b«; rind of ponM;p^ranat<;, wbicli Ih oawily i<ortabl<r, 
boil<5d in milk, in an <5xc«;ll<;nt rctiicAy in diarrbo;a in tb<! 'army, 
\<, b<! iiH<;d during M;arclty of rnedicincn. Tbe tr4;<; grown 
abundantly in tin; HoutJiom Htat<;« ; all parlH of it nn: un> 
di'',inal. 

l''rofi» fn;'|in;nt, trials, I know of no n-rn';dy [i/v diarrbo;a and 
dyH<;rit<jry of t<;<;tliing 'hildr'ifi, hupcrior to tli«; d«'COf;fion of 
tb«! root of tliiM Mp<;';i(;H ; aiKO, durin^^ th'; (■J)UVd\t-M>'A:UfM from 
<JyMcnt<;ry in a^iultH. It miglit be mucb f»ior<; (xlenhively uw;d 
on our pluritatioriH, 

The following preparation from blaek berries will be found 
uMeful an a hxalivi-^ afid to present ^^onHtipation, Half a pound 
of brown hugar to every jiound of the fruit boiled together for 
an hour, till the blaekberrie.i are Koft, Htirring and mahhitig 
them well. ThiM nhould be preMervcd, and will prove a moht 
agr<;eable laxative for ehildren, on aeeount of the Haeehan'ne 
matter r;ofitain<;d in it and the rnee-hanieal irritation of tlic 
MeedH : 

^^ lil.o.d'.hcrrii.i',. — Trenerve ihewe an Htrawb«-rrieM or eurrantH, 
either li'juid, or an a jam, or jelly, iilaekberry jelly or jam in an 
e,xeellent medieine in hummer eomplaintn or dysentery. 'Y<> 
make it, cruHh a quart of fully ripe bla^^kberricH with a pound 
of the b(!Ht loaf-Mugar; put it over a gentle fire and ojtoli it until 
thiek ; then [»ut to it a gill of the bext fourth-proof brandy; 
Ktir it awhile over the fire, Htrain, then put in pots. 

" liLacMarry Hyrup. — Make a Himple nyrup of a fiound of Mugar 
to eaeh pint of wat«5r ; boil it until it Ih rieh and thiek; then 
add to it an many [>intM of the expreHHed juiee of ripe blaek- 
b<;rrieH aH there are poundM of Hugar; put half a nutmeg grated 



to each quart of tho syrui); lot it biMl fiftoon or twenty 
ininutos, thoi\ mid to it halt' a i::ill of t'oiirtli j)n>ot" In-andy tor 
oaoh i\ni\v{ ot' synii>; sot it by to booomo i-oKi ; thon botllo it 
tor uso. A tablospoontui tor a ohiUi, or a winoi;lass tor ai\ ailult, 
isrt lioso. 

'' Jihickherry Cordial Mt'dicatt'd, — It is 1*00011111101111011 as a do- 
liijhttul bovoraijo. aiul a romody tor iliarrluva ov ordinary 
disoaso oi' tho bowols : 

"To halt' a bushel of blaokberries, well niasluHl, add a quarter 
of i\ pound of allspioe, two ounoes of cinnamon, two ounoes of 
cloves; pulverize well, mix and boil slowly until properly done; 
then strain or squee/.e the juice throUi;-h homespun or tlanuel 
and add to each pint of the juice one pound of loafsui;ju'j 
boil ai:;ain tor some tiino, take it otf. and while cooliiijj add half 
a i^allon oi' bosi brauvly. Kor an adult, half ounce to an 
ounce; for a child, a leaspoonful or more, aocordiiii;- to aije." 

Jilackberry Jelly is made by wasliiuij;; tho berries, to each 
pound addiuix a half pound oi' sugar, place on a stove and 
sinnnor. pour otV the juice which is to bo boiled down to a jelly, 
tho seeds being thus excluded. 

The leaves of the blackberry and raspberry carefully dried are 
rooonunoiuloil as substitutes \\iv foreign tea. Upini experiment, 
1 tind tho tea drawn from tlioin agreeable and pleasant, and 
perhaps slightly stimulating or soilative, as the case may bo, 
but the fwrh taste is rather too prominent. 

YllUJlXIAX, OU Wll.n UASPBKRKY. ^h'nhus (VC/We/j- 
talis, liinn.) tJrows in the upper districts; ct>lloctotl in St. 
John's ; Newborn. 

Mor and do T-. Oict. tie M. Mod. vi, KU. Properties iilontical 
with tho above. It is thought to be a specific in dysentery. 

ST R AW R E U R V. {FYagaria vesca, Ex.) Cult. 

Flore Mod. iii. 169; Griffith Mod. r>ot. 277. Gosnor speaks of 
the good otYocts ot' the fruit in calculous disorders, and Lin- 
nanis extolls its ettteacy in gout, having, ho Sftys, piwentoil 
paroxysms of it in himself by partaking of this fruit very 
t'rooly. They are also supposed to possess vormit'ugo properties, 
and to be useful in phthisis. Tho leaves are astringent, and are 
recon\mondod in bowel complaints ; and tho roots are much 
used in Kurope as diuretics; frequently given in dysuria. in 
int'usion. made with an ounce to tho pint ot' water. Op. ivY. 



IT.', 

Iijill<;rnttrid, in Imh work on Hporrnutorrhoia, p. JilO, HtatoH that 
Hl,rawb<!ri'i«;H an; quil<; Hc.rvic.c.nliU; in rolicvin^ irritablo ^;on- 
diliofiH of th(! f)la'i'J<;i' an<J mvoaUih. RoiiHHcau mcntionH tliJH aH 
true of ljirnH(;ir, hoc liiw (I'mfcHHioWi ; and 1 have known of por- 
HOfiM in iil-li<;alth during the winter who rapidly recovered aH 
Kooti an thiH frait cotild l>e procured — f>win;i^ douhtleHK to the 
n(;<!d of flie V';(,^<!f.ahl'; ueidn they eon tain. 

W(JAItlJ':T VIl'JilNIAN STIiAWIiKJiliy, ( Frarjo/ria Vir- 
r/i.rdana, \'W\tu,n.) l(if;hwoodH; Florida to Virginia. Chap. 

It waH introduced into l'in(.dand in 1629 and pOHHCHKcd a fame 
(!<pjal to the haulhoiH. 'J'lic ]>n\\> liaH a fin<; flavor, liural Cyc. 
'I'liin plant iH well known, and it« economical value and appli- 
cation require no deHcri|jt,ion. TheuHcofthe fruit ofteri aclH 
hen(;ficially upon dyMj>epticH, who are hencfitcd fjy acidn. '"J'he 
old Carolina Htrawhcrry Ih a well known and mucli CKtcemed 
variety. The pulf) in colored and juic}-, and haw a fine vinouH 
flavor." \iy pinching off all the firnt flowerH of early hloorn 
vari<!tieH, the flowern will appear and fructify the prencnt 
autumn. Rural ^'yc. 'I'hey require conHtant watering to hear 
aIniOHt fioriHtantly. 

' ) " Caroiinianum, Walt. 

(iriffUh, Med. liot. 279 ; Jlaf. Med. i''l. i, 220. ThiH plant \h 
pOHH(!HHed of tonic and antrin^ent prop<;rtieH, recommended hy 
IvfrHand \'>\jj;(;\()W in dyH[>epHia, and debility of the vincera; em- 
|)loyed, alMO, with hucccmh in leucorrlujea and chronic hemorr- 
hai^cH. It iH not HiippoHcd, however, to be jiOHHCHHed of much 
power; one drachm of the j<owdered root may he UHed, or a 
decoction mad(5 hy one ounce to one pint of water, of which the 
doHO iH one ounce Hcveral timcH a day. In domcKtic j>ractice, it 
Ih given in the Hhape of a weak decoction, an tea. 

A(;UI.M()\V; FKVKRKKW; COCKLE lilJKR, (Ayrimonia 
I'/upatona, Ij.j DiffuKcd in cultivated lafidn ; Newbern. Fl. 
July. 

Parr'H Med. Did. Art A. Kup.; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 
76: Le. Mat. Med. i, 1251; il<.»yle. Mat, Med. 002; IIoffman'H 
ObH. PhyH. Chim. i; ObH. i; Ell. Hot. Med. Notew, i, 403, note; 
IJ. S. hiHp. Hf); Fd. and Vav. Mat. Med. i, 281 ; Hall and Car. 
Mat. Med. 4;il ; liergii, .Mat. Med. 287; Mer. and de L. Diet, de 
M. Med. j, 63; Woodv. Med. liot. ; Ann. de Chim. Ixxxi, 332; 



iVxo, Am. Oisp, K^ ; Sluv, Klorj* Oan^l. iH> ; Horn, KUm»\ vlo Ivm. 

orrh»^\>ix viinrrhvvrt Uniiwrha^rt snul ijimvMThvvn, :u>U juv Ulj;l»ly 
rvHHMumoiulovi as a vioolv>itnun\( i»» v^hst»'uotivM\s of tho sploou, juul 
in d\5H\»4s^vs rtrisinj* t\\MU torpor of tho livor. as d»v|v«»y, jaundioo. 
otv\ Tho rvHUs auvi K^avos huvo boot\ tvmtxvl otUoaoious in iuvol- 
untjirv \i\soh»rijv^ of urino ^^onurxViis,^ Kiev's OjU, Ph^nturum; 
Auk llorKnU by J. Stonrns, 85>; l.iiihttlHH's Kl. Sootioa. It is 
styptic ; it str\M>4iihons tho toi^o of tho stomaoh. and it has Khmi 
ompU\Yv\l in ohrvMuo liiarrluwn, Tho p^«nt^ di^J\^sto^i in whoy. 
atK^rvls a vory j»ratot\il viiot drink, Siv l.inn;ous Voj;\ M, Movl. 
SS. Tho Invlians usv\i it in intonnittont t'ovor. Oolonol 8t\H- 
Kxrn, of IVudloton Distriot^ S^ 0., wrilos n\o wo»l that ho has 
known tho plattt. IhmKhI in milk, jjivon suooosst\jUy in snjiko 
hitxvs »wd ii\jurio* arisinij tWm tho stings of spidors. Tho doso 
i^* tho iM»Nv\ior is ivno draohm; of tho int\ision of six v>unoos of 
rvvt in ono quart of UMlinjj wator. tho iloso is vn»o oxinoo. In 
jvpular pnu'tivv. tho U^avivii ar\^ appliod :is a ojvtaplastii to «.vn« 
tusions and tWsh wounds. It isus^ni by tho stoam praotitionor^. 
800 Uowarvi's Imp. Syst. IVt, Mini. ^S4. Tho loaviv* and stalks 
iwjv^rt a lHnu»tit\d and ponuanont j;^>ld ov^lor to animal wool, 
proviously imprv\4jt\ati\l with a woak sv^lution of bismuth, and 
tho floxrors aroomployovi by taunors t\>rourinij sot^ and dolioato 
skins. I havo v^btaiuoii a dolioato yollow dyo tV\>m tho loavos 
^^lS^»i^ which ntiijht bo usot\»l in ivloriuij kid ijlovos, morvXHH) 
skins, oto, ; alum should Iv usoii to tix tho ^vlor. 

v'^/Mnrvi trifx^uiUi tinJ ^f^nhuw*. Soo li illonia. 

HAIUMIAOK: STKKIM.K lU'SU. v^>^Ar\^ hm^HU\<.K l.inn.> 
l^rvnvs in tho uppor districts, anvl in GiK^rgia: Newborn. Fl. 
July. 

r. S. Pisp. t»S- ; Kat. Mod. Fl. ii. 5U. .\ valuaMo tonic and 
*stHugvn\t ; administorvHl in diarrhiva, chv^lcni intantum. and 
olhor t^>mplai«ts whcr\^ miHiicin*,^ uf this class arx> indicHtoil. 
AWxHi s»ys it is peculiarly adaptvsi. by its tonic ^x-kwors. to cases 
of debility, as it vioos not disajjiw with tho stonxach; but it 
should W a^^>idod duriivjj tho oxistonci^ of int\an\n\atorv action 
or tVbrilo excitement. It was empK\vovi by the Indians, and 
brvnvijht to the notiw of thepr\>tVssion by Or. (^^jjswell. of Oonu. 
Or. Ivvvj is wf thooj^uiou thai the r\H>t is the least valuable pv^r- 



J 75 

(i<j //, lij^'t. ci<; M- M<V1. vi, 5W, j\<'j'/>rtyutf^ t/> M^a/i'* 'Hn^h, »t 
in (^jv<jri with >»»j^^^j#« in th<j %*'/'/>w\ hIa'^*^ (/f 'lymuUiry and 
(UnrrUn^, having virtiU'M AilrihiiU'A Uf it urmlo'^onn U* ih'ff^. '/f 
qitUiinh. Ht-M, al«//, Jonrtinl \ju\v. <i",n. Hfsh M/Vi, zxiv, 238, and 
TUcHtu in >i<;w Vork M<;^i, lUi^M/n. OAhrnif ^/p, frU,j The frxtra'.'t 
»aid t/; b<i fully <5<i»Jal U/ ^^AUsahn, and might rery well takfc 
it# j;liu;<;, Ax it do<rt not (Vi'.A'/rcA', whit th<; Jttorfta/;h- it i« con' 
HulcrcA a v<rry v'Aun,\>\t a/idition U^ tho mAUjrin lafAUsA, Griffith, 
M<^J. iJot. 28^). From ftvis to fif\Ae*;u grainn of th<j <;xtra/;t may 
h<5 taken, or two ounr^;*, of th*; i\t-j/H'X\ttu. \irt',\rt%r*'A hy the ad- 
dition of on<; <mu''A; oi' tli<; plant t// on'; pint of watf;r. Ttie ex- 
'^u.'t w prafarahUi; mtu\it hy evaporating the decoction '^ the 
HU;mH, UiHVCM or root. Thin in tak<;n ry^ld, and r(s\it'.nUA several 
tinj(;M d»jririg th(j day, Great twj uiif^ht tth mufU; of thi<« plaot, 
IfurilcMarly by pra';tition<;nj r';Miding in the c^ntry. In a 
M/fnmunication from Or. 8. B. Mea/1, of Illinois, he infonwH me 
that he han employ<^i it in oSrHiiuaUi diarrho;a«4 in plac^; of 
opiurn. 

>N INK-BA liK, ' iifiiro'.a f/pulijol.vi^ Linn.; <^iTOw» along stream*. 
S. and \. G. 

<'jirittii\t H ShA. liot, 282. Thi« i« not w^ a>«.tringent a^j the »V. 
f.f/fMrUoM., though Jiafinfc»»que Offe'i. Flora; ••.ayji it i» i>f/m*smt;d 
of NJmilar properties. It han an unplea^tant o<ior, which reu- 
derH it ohje/rtiof<ahle a^i an internal remedy. It i.»», however, 
much employed a** ari external application, in the form of fomer>- 
tation, or aM a eataplaitm to nU^an &tnl tuition. The Hee^ift are 
iixUirwaWy hitlei-, and are Jiaid to ^^ U/nic, The hark nt;\tArAUi% 
in thin layer«, \hmom the name. 

INDIAN Fif ySIC, ' 25''"''''^ fn/''-''^^'^^, >'ntt. 

(irown in the rjp[K;r diritrictw; alj<o in Ge^^ Fl. Jaly. 

Big. Am. .Med. Bot. iii, 10; Bart. M. B<H. 1C5; U.S. I>>i-*p. 
'i.^. It Ih a mild emetic a/^y^rding to «*/^me writer*; largely 
employed a« a ^uhntitute for i[>*y;actianha. Bigelow thinks it ij» 
not a certain emetic, but Zollickoffer, Barton, Eherle and Grif- 
fith unite in t<5«tifying t/^ itJ* value; the latter entirely di.Hprove* 
Baume'H unfavorable ref^^rt. In small (U/Hea it act* a* a gentle 
tonic, (:Hp4J:'\ii\ly in torj/ul cooditionn of the HUjinnalu Accord- 



17H 

ing to Mer. and de L. Diet, de Med. 509, (seo Spircea trifol.,) its 
properties partake also of a stimulating character. Coxe, Am. 
Disp. 305 ; Carson's Illust. Med. Bot. pt. 1st, 40, 1847. Shreeves 
(Ex. in the Am. Journal Pharm. vii) found in it starch, gum, 
resin, wax, fatty matter, red coloring matter, and a peculiar 
principle, soluble in alcohol and dilute acids, but insoluble in 
water and ether. According to the statement of Dr. Staples, 
it contains no emetine. It may be conveniently given as an 
emetic, by boiling the root and giving one or two ounces of the 
decoction at a dose till vomiting is induced. "The tincture of 
the root is an infallible remedj^ for milk sickness. "Cherokee 
Doctor." The dose of the powdered root is thirty grains, per- 
sisted in till vomiting takes place ; two to four grains act as a 
tonic, and sometimes as a sudorific. The infusion will occa- 
sionally produce hyperemesis and catharsis. Lind. Nat. Syst. 
144 ; Frost's Elems. 80 ; Inaug. Diss, of Dr. De La Motta, of 
Charleston, published in Philadelphia; Schoepf, M. Med. 80; 
Bart. M. Med. 26; Griffith's Med. Bot. 283 ; Griffith, in Journal 
Phil. Coll. Pharm. iv, 177. 

AMEEICAN IPECAC, j f ^.^^^^"^ stipulacea, Nutt. 
' j Spircea, of Mich. 

Grows on the Saluda mountains ; N. C. Fl. July. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 144. It is emetic and probably tonic, 
and is possessed of properties similar to those of the S. trifol.^ 
though it is said to be more certain in its effects, and not to 
have been deteriorated by cultivation. U. S. Disp. 853 ; Grif- 
fith's Med. Bot. 284. 

COCKSPUR THORN ; HAW, {Crcetagus cms galli.) Grows 
in swamps. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 460. Dr. Darlington re- 
gards it as one of the best thorn plants for hedges ; it is much 
used in Delaware. Fl. Cestrica. It is better than the Washing- 
ton thorn, G. cordata. These and the species of Pear, Pyrus, 
should be examined for the alkaloids propylamin and secalina. 
See Sorhus acuparia. 

CRAB- APPLE, {Pyrus coronaria, Linn.) Newbern. Fl. May. 

It is not employed medicinally. The fruit is very acid to the 
taste, and is often made into preserves. The acid juice is known 
under ihe name verjuice, and has been applied to sprains and 
bruises. Phloridzine has been obtained from this genus — said 



177 

to have succeeded in intermittente where quiriia had no eifect. 
Dungl. New Remedies. Ten to fifteen grains may be given dis- 
solved in a little ammonia and water. Mills, in his Statistics of 
S. C, says that the fruit makes the finest cider; that the 
leaves afl'ord a j-ellow dye, and tiiat the acid juice of the fruit 
id used in recent sprains, and as an astringent and repellant. 
The bark, with that of the white hickory, gives a yellow dye. 
Alum must be used as a mordant. The yarn should first be 
boiled with soap and water, then wz'ung out and boiled in the 
prep ai'at ion. 

APPLE, {Pyrus malus.) Cultivated. The apple, pear, (P. 
communis,) and quince, (P. cydonia,) grow very well in the South- 
ern States in districts removed from the seacoast. The pulp 
sui'rounding the seeds of the latter is often dissolved in water 
and used as a mucilage. See authors. 

Perry from pears is made very much like cider. Hitt's 
method^f keeping pears and apples is described by Wilson in 
his Rural Cyc. Art. " Fruit storing." Having prepared a num- 
ber of earthenware jars, and a quantity of drj'^ moss, (diff'erent 
species of Hypnum and SpJuignum,') he placed a layer of moss 
and of pears alternately, till the jar was filled ; a plug was 
then inserted and sealed around with melted rosin. These jars 
were sunk in dry sand to the depth of a foot — preferring a deep 
cellar for keeping them to any fruit room. Millar's plan is also 
described. After sweating and wiping, in which operation great 
care must be taken not to bruise the fruit, the pears are packed 
in close baskets, having some wheat straw in the bottom and 
around the sides, to prevent bruising, and a lining of thick, 
soft paper, to hinder the musty flavor of the straw from infect- 
ing the fruit. Only one kind of fruit is put in each basket. A 
covering of paper and straw is fixed on the top, and the basket 
is then deposited in a dry room, secure against the access of 
frost; and the less air is let into the room the better the fruit 
will keep. Some preserve apples and pears in glazed earthen- 
ware jars, with tops, by placing dried sand between each layer 
of fruit — the jars to be kept in a dry, airy situation, secure . 
from frost. 

The gum exuding from the apricot tree dissolved in water 
acts as a substitute for gum arabic as an adhesive agent; see, 
also, Bletia aphylla. I find that from the wild orange, in boil. 
12 



178 

ing water, acts admirably as a glue for paper. The wood of 
the pear and apple is very hard, and will probably supply some 
of our best material for wood engraving ; see Amelanchier, with 
which it is closely related. The pear and apple are employed 
to make wooden type for mammoth letters. The apple is the 
best material for plane stocks, as it becomes harder and nioi*e 
polished the more it is used. 

The bug, or plant louse, which in the shape of a hoary cov- 
ering destroys the apple tree, is generally an a'phis or an erio- 
soma ; see Wilson's Rural Cyclopoedia, a full account; also, 
papers on the "Insects destructive to Trees," in the Patent 
Office Eeport on Agriculture. In these the remedies are given. 
" The best of the methods, as to at once cheapness, cleanliness 
and efficiency, are syringing with soap suds and tobacco water, 
minutely brushing with spirits of turpentine, blushing with a 
mixture of soap lees and one of oil of turpentine, and brushing 
with brown, impure, pjToligenous acid." Wilson. Sec " peach," 
"pear," mode of keeping, etc. Planting apricots near by will 
divert the insects to their fruit. Turning hogs in orchards, 
which consume the fallen fruit, is one of the means of destroy- 
ing the larvffi, which produces the fly of the next season. 

A species of wine is made from apple cider by adding sugar 
and alcohol. Cider may be kept by digging under ground dry 
cellars, and covering from the sun. Vinegar made from cider 
is of the best quality. It is easily made in a warm place by 
adding a little mother of vinegar to the sour cider in a barrel. 
It is ready for use in a few weeks. The strength and purity of 
vinegar, as determined by the framers of the United States 
Pharmacopoeia, is as follows: "One fluid ounce is saturated by 
about thirty grains of crj'stallized bicarb, of potassa. It afl'ords 
no precipitate with solution of chloride of barium, and is not 
colored by sulphohydric acid." 

Good cider is deemed a pleasant, wholesome liquor during 
the heats of summer; and Mr. Knight has asserted, and also 
eminent medical men, that strong, astringent ciders have been 
found to produce nearly the same eff'ect in cases of putrid fever 
as Port wine. 

The unferraented juice of the apple consists of water and a 
peculiar acid called malic acid, combined with the saccharine 
principle. Where a just proportion of the latter is wanting, 



179 

the liquor will be poor and watery, without body, rcvy difficult 
to preserve and manage. In the process of fermentation, the 
saccharine principle is in part converted to alcohol. Where 
the proportion of the saccharine principle is wanting, the de- 
ficiency must be supplied either by the addition of a saccharine 
substance before fermentation, or b}^ the addition of alcohol 
after fermentation ; for every one must know that all good 
wine or cider contains it, elaborated by fermentation, either in 
the cask or in the reservoirs at the distillery. The best and 
cheapest kind is the neutral spirit — a highly rectified and taste- 
less spirit, obtained from New England rum. Some, however, 
object to any addition of either sugar or alcohol to supply defi- 
ciencies, forgetful that these substances are the very elements 
of which all wine, cider, and vinous liquors are composed. 
The strength of the cider depends on the specific gravity of 
the juice on expression: this may be easily ascertained by 
weighing, or by the hydrometer. 

Newark, in New Jersey, is reputed one of the most famous 
places in America for its cider. The cider apple most celebrated 
there is the Harrison apple, a native fruit ; and cider made from 
this fruit, when fined and fit for bottling, frequently brings ten 
dollars per barrel, according to Mr. Coxe. This and the Hughs' 
Virginia Crab are the two most celebrated cider apples of 
America. Old trees, growing in dry soils, produce, it is said, 
the best cider. A good cider apple is saccharine and astringent. 

To make good cider, the first requisite is suitable fruit; it is 
equally necessary that the fruit should be not merely mellow, 
but thoroughly mature^ rotten apples being excluded ; and ripe, 
if possible, at the suitable period, or about the first of Novem- 
ber, or from the first to the middle, after the excessive heat of 
the season is past, and while sufficient warmth yet remains to 
enable the fermentation to progress slowly, as it ought. 

The fruit should be gathered by hand, or shaken from the 
tree in dry weather, when it is at perfect maturity ; and the 
ground should be covei'cd with coarse cloths or Russia mats 
beneath, to prevent bruising, and consequent rottenness, before 
the grinding commences. Unripe fruit should be laid in large 
masses, protected from dew« and rain, to sweat and hurry on its 
maturity, when the suitable time for making approaches. The 
eai'licr fruits should be laid in thin layers on stagings, to pre- 



180 

serve them to the suitable period for making, protected alike 
from rain and dews, and where they may be benefited by cur- 
rents of cool, dry air. Each variety should be kept separate, 
that those ripening at the same period should be ground to- 
gether. 

In grinding, the most perfect machiner}' should be used to 
reduce the whole fruit, skin and seeds, to a fine pulp. This 
should, if possible, be performed in cool weather. The late 
Joseph Cooper, of New Jersey, has observed emphatically, that 
" the longer a cheese lies after being ground, before j^ressing, the better 
for the cider, provided it escapes fermentation until the pressing is 
completed;" and he further observes, " that a sour apple, after 
being bruised on one side, becomes rich and sweet after it has 
changed to a brown color, while it yet retains its acid taste on 
the opposite side." When the pomace united to the juice is 
thus suffered for a time to remain, it undergoes a chemical 
change; the saccharine principle is developed; it will be found 
rich and sweet. Sugar is in this case produced by the pro- 
longed union of the bruised pulp and juice, which could never 
have been formed in that quantity had they been sooner sepa- 
rated. 

Mr. Jonathan Eice, of Marlborough, who made the pi'emium 
cider so much admired at Concord, Massachusetts, appears so 
sensible of the important effects of mature or fully ripe fruit, 
that, provided this is the case, he is willing even to forego the 
disadvantage of having a portion of it quite rotten. Let me 
observe, that this rottenness must be the effect, in part, of 
bruises by improper modes of gathering, or by improper mix- 
tures of ripe and unripe fruit. He always chooses coo! weather 
for the operation of grinding ; and instead of suffering the 
pomace to remain but twenty-four hours or forty-eight hours at 
most before pressing, as others have directed, he suffers it to 
remain from a week to ten days, provided the weather will admit, 
stirring the mass daily till it is put to the press. See his com- 
munication in vol. vii, p. 123, IST. E. Fai-mer. 

The first fermentation in cider is termed the vinous; in this 
the sugar is decomposed, and loses its sweetness, and is con- 
verted into alcohol ; if the fermentation goes on too rapidly, 
the cider is injured ; a portion of alcohol passes off with the 
carbonic acid. 



181 

The design of frequent rackings is principally to restrain the 
fermentation ; but it seems to be generally acknowledged that 
it weakens the liquor. It is not generally practiced, although 
the finest cider is often produced by this mode. Various other 
modes are adopted with the view of restraining fermentation — 
one of which is the following : After a few gallons of cider are 
jiourcd into the hogshead into which the cider is to be placed 
when racked off, a rag six inches long, previously dipped in 
melted brimstone, is attached by a wire to a very long, tapering 
bung ; on the match being lighted, the bung is loosely inserted; 
after this is consumed, the cask is rolled or tumbled till the 
liquor has imbibed the gas, and then filled with the liquid. 
This checks the fermentation ; yet the French writers assure 
us that the effect of much sulphuring must necessarily render 
such liquors unwholesome. 

Black oxide of manganese has a similar effect ; the crude 
oxide 13 rendered friable by being repeatedly heated red hot, 
and as often suddenly cooled by immersion in cold water. 
When finely pulverized, it is exposed for a while to the atmos- 
phere, till it has imbibed again the oxygen which had been 
expelled by fire. An ounce of powder is deemed sufficient for 
a barrel. If the cider is desired to be very sweet, it must be 
added before fermentation, otherwise not till afterward. Mr. 
Knight, from his long experience and observation in a country 
(Herefordshire, England,) famous for its cider, has lately, in a 
letter to the Hon. John Lowell, stated that the acetous fer- 
mentation generally takes place during the progress of the 
vinous, and that the liquor from the commencement is imbibing 
oxygen at its surface. He highly recommends that new char- 
coal, in a finely pulverized state, be added to the liquor as it 
comes from the press, in the proportion of eight pounds to the 
hogshead, to be intimately incorporated; "this makes the 
liquor at first as black as ink, but it finally becomes remarkably 
fine." 

Dr. Darwin has recommended that the liquor, as soon as the 
pulp has risen, should be placed in a cool situation, in casks of 
remarkable strength, and the liquor closely confined from the 
beginning. The experiment has been tried with good success; 
the fermentation goes on slowly, and an excellent cider is gen- 
erally the result. 



ib2 

A handful of well powdered cla}' to a barrel is said to check 
the fermentation. This is stated by J)r. Mease. Ami with the 
view of preventing the escape of the carbonic acid, and to pre- 
vent the liquid from imbibing oxygen from the atmosphere, a 
pint of olive oil has been recommended to each hogshead. The 
excellent cider exhibited by Mr. Eice was prepared by adding 
two gallons of New England rum to each barrel when first 
made. In February or March it was racked oif in c1ei\r 
weather, and two quarts more of New England rum added to 
each barrel. Cider well fermented may be frozen down to any 
requisite degree of strength. In freezing the watery parts are 
separated, and freeze first, and the stronger parts are drawn off 
from the centre. I finish by adding the following general 
rules — they will answer for all general purposes ; they are the 
conclusions from what is previously" stated : 1. Grather the fruit 
according to the foregoing rules ; let it be thoroughly ripe when 
ground, which should be about the middle of November. 
2. Lot the pomace remain from two to four days, according to 
the state of the weather, stirring it ever}" day till it is put to 
the press. 3. If the liquor is deficient in the saccharine prin- 
ciple, the defect may be remedied in the beginning by the addi- 
tion of saccharine substances or alcohol. 4. Let the liquor be 
immediately placed in a cool cellar, in remarkably strong, tight, 
sweet casks ; after the pulp has all overflown, confine the liquor 
down b}' driving the bung hard, and by sealing; a vent must 
be left, and the spile carefull}" drawn at times, but only when 
absolutely necessary to prevent the cask from bursting. The 
charcoal, as recommended by Mr. Knight, deserves trial. 

Fresh and sweet pomace, directly from the press and boiled 
or steamed, and mixed with a small portion of meal, is a valuable 
article of food, or for fattening horses, cattle and swine. 

Sour casks are purified by pouring in a small quantity of hot 
water and adding unslacked lime; bung up the cask and con- 
tinue shaking it till the lime is slacked. Soda and chloride of 
lime are good for purifj'ing. When casks are emptied to be 
laid by, let them be thoroughly rinsed with water and drained, 
then pour into each a pint of cheap alcohol, shake the cask and 
bung it tight, and it will remain sweet for years. Musty casks 
should be condemned to other uses. Cider should not be 
bottled till perfectly fine, otherwise it may burst the bottles. 



183 

The bottles should bo strong and filled to the bottom of the 
neck. After standing an hour, they should be corked with 
velvet corks. The lower end of the cork is held for an instant 
in hot water, and it is then instantly after driven down with a 
mallet. The bottles must be either sealed or laid on their sides 
ill boxes, or in the bottom of a cellar and covered with layers 
of sand. 

Most of the above information relative to cider making is de- 
rived from the American Orchardist, by W. Kenrick, of Boston, 
Massachusetts, whose list of apple and other nursery trees com- 
prehends almost every kind desirable for any purpose. 

The reader will find very explicit instructions for the manu- 
facture of cider ill the Penny Cyclopcjcdia, vol. vii, p. 161; in 
the Lib. of Useful Know.; British Husb. vol. ii, p. 364; Low's 
Pract. Agr. p. 879 ; Croker, On the Art of Making and Man- 
aging Cider; in the (^uart. Journal of Agr. vol. viii, p. 332, by 
Mr. Tanvers; and in Baxter's Agr. Lib. p. 135, by Andrew 
Crosse, Esq., of Somerset. The following instructions for 
making cider are by a Devonshire lady : Gather the fruit when 
ripe ; let it remain in a heap till the apples begin to get damp, 
then grind them in a mill, (similar to a malt mill ;) take the pulp 
and put it into a large press like a cheese press, only on a much 
larger scale ; place a layer of reed in the bottom of the vat and 
a layer of pulp alternately until the vat is full. The vat is 
square, and the ends of the reed must be allowed to turn over 
every layer of pulp, so as to keep it from being pressed out at 
the sides. The layers of pulp must be five or six inches thick. 
When you have finished making your cheese, press it as hard 
as you can, and let it remain three or four hours ; then cut down 
the corners of it, and lay them on the top with a reed as before; 
then press it again and allow it to remain for another three or 
four hours; Repeat this process as long as necessary, or until 
the cheese is quite dry. It takes seven bags of apples for one 
hogshead of cidei', and the vat ought to be large enough to make 
from three to four hogsheads at a time. The best sort of apple 
to make mild cider is the hard bitter-sweet. Any sort of sour 
apple will do to make the harsh cider. The liquor must be 
strained through a fine sieve into a large vessel, and allowed to 
ferment for three or four days, taking off the scum as it rises; 
then rack it. and put it into casks stopped down quite close. 



184 

Before the cider is pat into the cask, a match is made of new 
linen, and attached to a wire, is lighted and put into the cask 
and the bung is put in to keep the wire from falling into it. 
After a few minutes the match is removed and the cider poured 
into the cask while yet full of the smoke. 

A person would require three or four years experience before 
he would be qualified to superintend the making of sweet or 
mild cider. Much depends on the yeai-, or rather on the 
ripening of the apples ; it should be the second, not the first 
falling ; and the " green bitter-sweet," and the " pocket-apple," 
are the best for making it. After pounding, isinglass and 
brimstone are used to sweeten and fine it, and many other in- 
gredients. 

The sweet cider, above described, is distinct from the other 
two kinds of cider, (the harsh and mild.) Cider, according to 
Brande, contains about nine eight-sevenths parts per cent, of 
alcohol. It is a wholesome beverage for those who use much 
bodily exercise. Willich's Dom. Enc; McCulloch's Com. Diet. 

The Sumter Watchman, 1863, recommends a jelly made from 
cider : Boil cider to the consistency of syrup, and let it cool — 
no sugar need be added — said to be excellent for convalescents. 

Under this genus, I insert the following from Chaptal's Chem- 
istry Applied to Agriculture, as the subject of the manufacture 
of Liquors from fruits, grain, etc., is important in the pi-esent 
exigency of high duties, etc.: " Good water is undoubtedly the 
most wholesome drink; but man has almost everywhere con- 
tracted the habit of using fermented liquors, and this habit has 
created in hira a want of them ; so that if he be deprived of 
their use, he loses his strength and energy, and becomes less 
able to work. The best fermented drink is wine ; but excepting 
the wine countries, where the low price of ordinary wine 
renders the use of it common, the laborer has seldom the means 
of procuring it daily. It is, therefore, necessary that its place 
should elsewhere be supplied by such other liquors as will pro- 
duce nearly the same effect, and this is done by the fermen- 
tation of grains, fruits, milk, the sap of trees, etc., from the 
product of which there is formed in Europe a great variety of 
liquors; some of these have become very important articles of 
consumption and of commerce. The peasants, in the greater 
part of our districts, have acquired the habit of preparing their 



185 

liquors from the fermentation of most of these substances ; and 
as the only object I have in view is to furnish information in 
regard to extending and perfecting the^^e processes, 1 shall 
confine myself to pointing out such methods as are easily exe- 
cuted, and which require the employment of such substances 
only as are everywhere in the hands of the agriculturist: 

" All mucilaginous fruits, all fleshy stone fruits, excepting 
those which yield oil, all grains which contain gluten, sugar, or 
starch, are capable of undergoing the spiritous or alcoholic fer- 
mentation. 

" The expressed juice of saccharine fruits may be made to 
ferment by exposure to a sufficient degree of heat. The method 
most commonly pursued is that of crushing or grinding the 
fruits, and thus fermenting the pulp with the juice ; in this 
manner are treated apples, pears, grapes, cherries, etc. 

" For such fruits as are not very juicy, but contain, however, 
some sugar and mucilage, and for such as can be made to keep 
better by being dried, some water is employed to mix and 
dissolve the fermentable principles. In this class of fruits may 
be placed those of the service tree, the cornelian cherry, the 
medlar, the mulberry, the privet, the juniper, the Neapolitan 
medlar, the thorn apple, the wild plum, etc., and with them the 
dried fruits of the plum and fig tree, and some of the other 
trees and shrubs before mentioned. 

"To produce the development of the saccharine principle in 
bread corns by germination, they must be moistened with 
water; the spiritous fermentation is afterward excited in them 
by immersing them in water containing the yeast of beer, or 
leaven made of wheat flour. The operation of germination 
may even be suppressed by mixing the meal with a portion of 
leaven and of lukewarm water. This dough may be allowed 
to ferment for twenty-four hours, and may then be gradually 
diluted with water; fermentation will take place in a few hours 
and will go on regularly during two or three days. As di- 
rections for the manufacture of cider, perry and beer for general 
consumption are much less necessary here than those for pro- 
curing for farmers, (or soldiers, I add.) wholesome liquors at a 
trifling expense, I shall confine mj' observations to this object. 
Grapes furnish the best liquor, and that in the greatest quantity • 
but when this is drunk clear, it serves but little purpose for 



186 

quenelnno- thirst ; when mado use of in large qiiautities, it im- 
pairs the strength. The liquor called jt><(/»e^fg, which is manu- 
factured by our farmers, supplies advantageously the place of 
wine, serving as a tonic, and at the same time quenching thirst. 
Piquctte is made from the pressed and fermented mash of red 
gi'apes, by means of water filtrated through it till it acquires, in 
some degree, the color and appearance of wine ; it is, even in 
this state, a better drink than water, inasmuch as it is slightly 
tonic ; its good qualities may, however, be much increased by 
fermentation. Piqiiette can be kept but a short time unchanged, 
and. from this tendency to sour, it is necessarj' that it should be 
made only in such quantities as are immediately wanted, and 
that the manufacture of it should be continued at intervals 
throughout the year. For tliis purpose the pressed mash of 
red grapes is put into a cask, care being taken to crowd it in till 
the cask is completely full, after which it is hermetically closed, 
so as to exclude air and moisture, and set in a cool, dry place. 
When the piquettc is to be prepared for use, the head is taken 
out of the cask, and water is thrown upon the mash until the 
whole mass is moistened with it, and the water stands upon 
the top ; fermentation soon takes place, as becomes evident by 
the light foam which arises ; it is comjilcted by the end of the 
fourth or fifth day ; from this time the liquor may be drawn off 
for daily use — the place of the portion removed being supplied 
by an equal quantity' of water thrown in upon the top of the 
mash. In this manner a cask of mash, of the capacity of sixty- 
six gallons, ma}' furnish about four gallons of drink per diem, 
and will continue to yield it for about twenty days. 

"As the mash of white grapes cannot be made to ferment 
with the juice, this last is separated and put into casks to fer- 
ment by itself, and the piquefte is then made by adding to the 
mash the necessarj' quantity of water. This liquor is more 
spiritous than that made from red grapes, and keeps better; it 
is, therefore, reserved for use during the latter part of the summer. 
If instead of throwing pure water upon the mash as is every- 
where done, this liquid should first be slightly SAveetened and 
heated, and then receive the addition of a little yeast, piquette 
of a very superior quality would be obtained. In the absence 
of 3'east or leaven, the scum which arises upon wine, especially 
white wine, during fermentation, may be used for the same 



187 

purj)08c ; this foam or scum may be dried, and thus preserved 
for use without undergoing any change. 

" Well made piqitetfe is a very wholesome drink for country 
people, for its tonic properties, as well as its power of quenching 
thirst ; it is far preferable, as a daily drink, to wine ; but this 
resource is only local, as in most countries that are most fruitful 
in grapes, if the harvest fall short, there can be but little 
piquette made ; it is necessary then to be able to supply its 
place from some other source, and this is done bj" the fermen- 
tation of certain fruits. 

" Apples and Pears, as being the fruits that are most abund- 
antly produced, are the most valuable for the purpose of manu- 
facturing Liquors. A mixture of the two produces a more 
wholesome article of drink than does either treated separately. 
The juices of plums and other fruits may likewise be added, 
as their astringency renders the liquor more tonic. Excellent 
liquor *aay be produced, both from apples and pears, by fol- 
lowing the well known method of making cider, which consists 
in grinding the fruit with a millstone and fei-men ting the pulp 
and juice together; but upon farms, where we seldom find the 
means of preserving liquors unchanged, it is necessary that the 
processes be simple, and such as can be made use of for pre- 
paring them as they are needed. I shall, therefore, recommend 
the following method : Begin to collect the apples and pears 
which fall from the trees toward the end of August, and con- 
tinue to do so till they have arrived at maturity; cut them in 
pieces as fast as they arc gathered; dry them first in the sun 
and afterward in an oven from which the bread has been drawn. 
If the fruit be well dried in this manner, though it may grow 
dark colored, it may be kept unchanged for several years. 
When drink is to be prepared from these dried fruits, put about 
sixty pounds of them into a cask, which contain sixty-six 
gallons ; fill the cask with water, and allow it to remain four or 
five days; after which, draw off the fermented liquor for use. 
The liquor thus prepared is very agreeable to the taste ; when 
put into bottles it ferments so as to throw out the cork as 
frothing Champagne wine does. Though wholesome and 
agreeable, it may become still more conducive to health by 
mixing with the apples and pears one-twentieth of the dried 
berries of the service tree, Amelanchier canadensis, (Aronia botrya- 



188 

pium, Ell. Sk., which grows in the Cai'olinas,) and one-thirtieth 
of juniper berries; from these the liquor acquires a slightly 
bitter taste, and the flavor of the juniper berries, which is very- 
refreshing, and it is besides rendered tonic and auti-putrescent. 
The use of this drink is one of the surest means that can be 
taken by the husbandman for preserving himself from those 
diseases to which he is liable in autumn, and for the attacks of 
which he is preparing the way during the greatest heats of 
summer. 

'After the spiritous portions of the liquor have been drawn 
off, very agreeahie piquette may be made from the pulp which 
remains in the cask; for this purpose it is only necessary to 
crush the fruit, which is already soft, and to add to it as much 
lukewarm water, to which a small quantity of yeast has been 
added, as will fill the cask, fermentation commencing in a short 
time, and terminating in three or four days. To flavor this 
liquor and render it slightly tonic, there may be added to it 
before fermentation a handful of vervain, three or four pounds 
of elder berries, and of juniper berries. 

" Cherries, and particularly the small bitter cherries, when 
ground and afterward fermented in a cask, in the same manner 
as the mash of grapes, and then pressed to separate the juice 
from the pulp, furnish a liquor containing much spirit. The 
wine made from cherries, when distilled, affords an excellent 
liquor, which, although not exactly the same as the good 
Kirschivasser of the Black Forest, is yet a valuable drink, and is 
sold in commerce under the same name. 

" The berries of the Service tree, dried in an oven, and put 
into a cask in the proportion of about sixteen or eighteen 
pounds of fruit to twenty -six and a half gallons of water, 
furnish, after four or five days fermentation, a very good drink. 
Plums and figs, dried either by the sun or in an oven, may be 
made use of for the same purpose. In order to render the 
liquor more wholesome or more agreeable, several kinds may 
be mixed together, and thus the defects of one kind may be 
compensated for by the good qualities of the other. . A few 
handfuls of the red fruit of the bird-catcher service tree coun- 
teract the flat, sweetish taste of certain other fruits. 

" In our farming districts the berries of the Juniper are care- 
fully collected and fermented, in the proportion of about thirty 



189 

pounds of berries to thirty-eight and a half gallons of water. 
The drink procured from these is one of the most wholesome 
possible, but it requires a little use to reconcile one to the odor 
and flavor of it; those, however, who drink it, prefer it after a 
short time to any other liquor. The juice of the juniper con- 
tributes so much to health that I cannot too strongly recommend 
its being mixed, in greater or less quantities, Avith all fruits 
which are to be subjected to fermentation ; its flavor alone will 
disguise the taste of such liquors as, without being unwhole- 
some, are flat, sickish or otherwise unpleasant. Count Chaptal 
probably refers here to the juniper growing in Holland, from 
which gin is procured. Our common red cedar, growing in 
South Carolina, QJuniperus Virginiana,) is closely related to the 
European juniper, and the berries, perhaps, may be used in 
flavoring drinks and the leaves employed in place of savin. See 
Juniperus. 

" Thd* rinds of Oranges or Lemons, aromatic plants, Angelica 
roots, (grow in South Carolina,) Peach leaves, etc., may likewise 
be mixed with any of these fruits which are naturally too sweet 
and thus serve to raise the flavor of the fermented liquor, and 
render it more strengthening and efl[icacious in preventing the 
attack of disease. 

" I do not doubt but that by the application of the true 
princii)le8 of science, and by employing only those products 
which nature yields us abundantly and without expense, we can 
procure for the husbandman a variety of drinks more healthy, 
more agreeable, and better adapted for quenching thirst than 
the weak and imperfectly fermt^nted wines made from green 
grapes. 

"I have limited myself to pointing out the simplest methods 
in which such articles as are within the reach of every peasant 
may be made use of; if such liquors as are more spiritous be 
wished, they can be obtained by dissolving from four to six 
pounds of the coarsest kinds of sugar in from five and a half to 
ten and a half gallons of warm water, and throwing the solution 
upon the mash when the cask is filled with it, supposing the 
cask to contain sixty-six gallons. To this may be added any 
number of pounds of raisins. 

"Liquors suitable for drinking may likewise be manufactured 
from the sap of several kinds of trees. In Germany, Holland 



1})0 

and soiuo parts of Prussia, as soon as tho roturnini;; warmth of 
sprinij bogins to oauso tho aseont of tho sap. holos two or throo 
inehosdoop aro boi-od with a ginilot in tho trunks of tho Birch 
troos; through tho straws which aro introduced into tho gimk>t 
holos thoro tiows out a dear, swoot juico, which after having 
boon forniontod for a foM' days, bocomos a sprightly liquor, that 
is drank by tho inhabitants of those countries with much pleas- 
ure. It is thought by them to be very serviceable in counter- 
acting atVe^'tions of the kidneys, stomach, etc. A single tree will 
furnish a quantity o( drink sutHcieut to last throe or four per- 
sons ft week. The natives of the Coromandel coast fabricate 
their cdloir from the sap of the cocoanut tree. The savages of 
America prepare their (7(/i'(/ from the juico of tho maize, and the 
drink of the negroes of Congo is made from the juice of the 
palm tree. 

"It cannot bo doubted that the sap of all those trees which 
attbrd a saccharine substance can bo made to yield & spiritous 
liquor, but I mention only these few as instances, because our 
own wants may bo abundantly supplied trom our fruits and 
grain. 

• "The fermentation of Rye and Barley has atforded, from time 
immemorial, a liquor which has supplied tho place of wine for 
tho use of the common people in nearly all those countries in 
which tho vine cannot bo made to flourish ; in those where wine 
is made abuudautl}', the use of Beer is still very extensive, both 
on account of tho nutritive qualities whieh it possesses in a high 
degree, and its power of quenching thirst. Though boor may 
be brewed upon so small a scale as to supply tho wants of a 
single family, I shall enter into no explanation of the process. 
In Russia a wholesome drink (.ailed (juds.-^ is made. One-tenth 
part of the rye to be employed in its manufacture is stooped in 
water till it becomes soft ; it is then spread thinly upon planks 
in a place warm enough to produce germination, audit is there 
sprinkled occasionally with warm water. The remainder of the 
rvo, after having been ground, is mixed with the germinated 
grain, and tho whole is diluted with two gallons and a half of 
boiling water; the vessel is then set into an oven, from which 
broad has just been drawn, or exposed to an equivalent degree 
of heat, during twoDty-tbur or thirty houi-s; if tho vessel be 
put into an oven which it is necessary to heat every day. it may 



191 

be removed dui-ing baking, arid returned again after the bread 
Im taken out. After thi.s firHt operation, tiie fermented .subHtanee 
in diluted by mixing with it two and a half gallons of water at 
the t<;mperature of 12'^ or 15^, (W of the Centigrade, 53'^ to 
59'^ ; if of iteaumur, to from 59'^ to fj'/^.) This mixture is Htirred 
for half an hour, and then allowed to .settle. Ah .soon as a de- 
posit is formed and the liquor beeome.s clear, it is then thrown 
into a cask, where fermentation lakes place; this is completed 
in a few days, when the cask is removed into a cellar, and the 
quasa soon becomes clear. It is in this state that it is drank by 
the peasants; but it is much improved by being drawn off in 
jugs as soon as it has formed its deposit in the cask, and bottled, 
after having been preserved in these vessels till it has become 
clear. The liquor prepared in this manner has a vinous and 
sharp flavor, which is not unpleasant. The color of it is not 
very precise, being of a yellowish white. The imperfections of 
quass rrWght easily be remedied by adding wild apples, or pears, 
orjunij>er berries, to the fermented substances. The fermented 
liquor might be racked off several times from its lees, and clari- 
fied by the same process which we use for wine. The different 
deposits which are formed during the manufacture of quass are 
entirely of malt, and afford a nourishing and fattening food for 
animals." The reader is referred to same authority for other 
methods of manufacturing drinks, beverages, etc., from articles 
furnished on our farms. 

On the subject of fermentation, Chaptal gives the following 
hints which may avail us in our experiments upon the produc- 
tion of wine. It seems to me that they convey some doctrines 
similar to those brought forward by Professor WilliaJu Hume, 
of South Carolina, in his ingenious essay: 

" Generally speaking, the French Grapes, when ripe, contain 
such proportions of sugar and the vegeto-animal principles as 
are well adapted for producing the vinous fermentation; but 
when the summer is cold or damp the proportion of sugar is 
less, and the predominance of the mucilage (\i is from this mu- 
cilage that vinegar is formed; renders the liquor weak. In this 
case the s/aall quantity of alcohol v)hich is developed is not sufficient 
to preserve the wine frdm spontaneous decomposition, and at the 
return of heat a new fermentation lakes place, the product of 
which is vinegar. This evil may be easily obviated by artificial 



192 

means ; it is only necessary to add to the liquor such a quantity 
of sugar as would naturally have been found in it under usual 
circumstances." Professor Hume advises the addition of alco- 
hol, I believe, to preserve the wine from the acetic fermontation. 
See, also, " Treatise on Rural Chemistry," by Ed. Solly. F. R. S. 
From Lond. ed. Philada. 1852 ; articles on manufacture of wine, 
brandy, etc., from fruits and vegetables. Several articles on 
manufacture of wine can be found in Patent Office Reports. 
See " Grape." 

A harvest drink is made by adding ten gallons of water to 
half a gallon of molasses, a quart of vinegar, and four ounces of 
ginger. Let the water be fresh from the spring or well; stir 
the whole well together, and a refreshing drink is obtained. 

PEAR, (Pyrus coiiununis.) 

Fruit trees, particular!}^ the pear, were formally introduced 
into hedge-rows. It was objected that depredations would be 
made upon the hedge. Gerard, who wrote on the subject three 
hundred years ago said: "The poore will breake downe our 
hedges, and wee have the least part of the fruit. Forward, in 
the name of God; grafte, set, plant, and nourish up trees in 
every corner of 3'our ground. The labor is small, the cost is 
nothing, the commodity is great; yourselves shall have plenty, 
the poore shall have somewhat in time of Avant to relieve their 
necessity, and God shall rewarde your goode mindes and dilli- 
gence." See paper on " Best trees for hedges," in Pat. Office 
Reports, 1854, p. 416. To manufacture perry, cider, etc., con- 
sult Wilson's Rural Cyc.; Ure's Dictionary of Arts, etc.; see, 
also, "Apple." 

Dr. John Lindley has written a most instructive article on 
Fecundation inplants, phj'siological principles, and methods upon 
which fruits are produced. See his " Guide to the Orchard and 
Kitchen Garden," and a condensation in Patent Office Reports, 
1856, p. 244. He saj'S that some fruits of excellent qualities are 
bad bearers, and recommends the following modes of remedying 
these defects : 1st, by ringing the hark ; 2d, by bending branches 
downward; 3d, by training; 4th, by the use of ditferent kinds 
of stocks. All these practices are intended to produce the same 
effects by different ways: "Physiologist's know that whatever 
tends to cause a rapid diffusion of the sap and secretions of any 
plant, causes also the formation of leaf buds instead of flower 



193 

buds ; and that whatever on the contrary tends to cause an 
accumulation of sap and secretions, has the effect of producing 
flower buds in abundance ;" so that a flower bud is often only a 
contracted branch. By arresting the motions of the fluids and 
secretions in a tree, we promote the production of flower buds. 
See, also, same volume, for mode of preservation and transpor- 
tation of seeds, with the longevity of seeds, their utility and 
germinative powers. A long list is given of the length of time 
which seeds can be preserved. 

MOUNTAIN-ASH; MT. SUMACH, {Pyrus Americana, D. 
C. Sorbus microcarpa, Ph., acuparia, Mx.) Highest moun- 
tains of North Carolina. Fruit acid. 

This plant yields malic acid. I insert the following from 
Ure's Dictionary, (Farmer's Encyclopcedia :) 

Malic acid. This vegetable acid exists in the juices of many 
fruits and plants, alone, or associated with the citric, tartaric, 
and oxalic acids ; and occasionally combined with potash or 
lime. Unripe apples, pears, sloes, barberries, the berries of the 
mountain-ash, elder-berries, currants, goose-berries, strawber- 
ries, raspberries, bilberries, bramble-berries, whortleberries, 
cherries, ananas, aff'ord malic acid ; the house-leek and purslane 
contain the malate of lime. 

The acid may be obtained most conveniently from the juice 
of the berries of the mountain-ash, or barberiies. This must 
be clarified by mixing with white of egg, and heating the mix- 
ture to ebullition ; then filtering — digesting the clear liquor 
with carbonate of lead till it becomes neutral ; and evaporating 
the saline solution till crystals of malate of lead be obtained. 
These are to be washed with cold water, and purified by re- 
crystallization. On dissolving the white salt in water, and 
passing a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen through the solu- 
tion, the lead will be all separated in the form of a sulphuret, 
and the liquor, after filtration and evaporation, will yield yel- 
low, granular crystals, or cauliflower concretions, of malic acid, 
which may be blanched by redissolution and digestion with 
bone-black, and recrystallization. 

Malic acid has no smell, but a very sour taste, deliquesces by 

absorption of moisture from the air, is soluble in alcohol, fuses 

at 150° Fahr., is decomposed at a heat of 348°, and affords by 

distillation a peculiar acid — the pyromalic. It consists, in 100 

13 



194 , 

parts, of 41.47 carbon, 3.51 hydrogen, and 55.02 oxygen ; having 
nearly the same composition as citric acid. A crude malic acid 
might be economically extracted from the fruit of the moiintain- 
ash, (Sorbiis acuparia,) applicable to many purposes ; but it has 
not hitherto been manufactured upon a great scale. Dem. 
Elem de Bot. 655. The flowers are purgative. The oil from 
the young branches is caustic, and is employed against ring- 
worm. M. Dussauce says that the leaves are used for tanning 
leather. The bark, says Eafinesqtie, smells and tastes like cherry 
bark, but more astringent; is anti-septic, and contains prussic 
acid, used like cinchona in fevers and other diseases. This 
plant, Pyrus communis, and species of CraUegus, yield an alka- 
loid called secalina or propylaynin, considered by Dr. Awenarius, 
of St. Petersburg, to be a true specific for rheumatic affections, 
acute and chronic. He adds twenty-four drops of propylarain 
to six ounces of mint water with two drachms of sugar, and 
gives doses of a tablespoonful every two hours. Parrish, Pract. 
Pharm. and Proctor in Proc. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 1857 ; Am. J. 
Pharm. xxxi, 125 and 222. 

WILD CURRANT; SHADE TREE; SERVICE TREE, 
(^AmelancTiier canadensis, L. Aronia botryapium, of Ell. Sk.) 
Upper country ; Sarrazins PI., St. John's, S. C; woods Fla. to 
Miss., Chapman ; Newbei*n, Croom's Catalogue. 

Upon examining with a sharp instrument the specimens of 
various Southern woods, deposited in the museum of the Elliott 
Society by Professor L. R. Gibbes, Dr. A. M. Foster, and W. 
Wragg Smith, Esq., I was struck with the singular weight, 
density and fineness of this wood. I think I can confidently 
recommend it as one of the best to be experimented with by 
the wood engraver. It is also, it will be observed, closely 
allied to the apple, pear, etc., which are all hard. From my 
brief examination of the excellent and useful collection above 
referred to, I would arrange the hard woods as follows, those 
just cited taking the first rank : next in order. Dogwood, Far- 
cleberry, {Vaccinium arboreiini,) Redberry, (Azalea nudiflora,) 
and Kalmia latifolia. The Holly (Ilex opaca) I find to be quite 
hard when well dried. The beech, (Fagus sylvatica,) the horn- 
beam, (Ostrya Virginica,) indigenous plants, have all been recom- 
mended lor the purposes of the engraver. 

While engaged in completing a number of wood engravings 



195 

for my Prize Essay for the South Carolina Medical Association, 
I used a piece of well seasoned dogwood, and obtained a very 
^ood impression from coarse figures cut with the graver's tools. 
I find that none, so far experimented with, equal the boxwood, 
but I have not yet fully tested the woods put to season. See 
Kalmia, etc. 

See apple, {Pyriis malus,') for stimulating beverages made from 
the fruit of the service tree. 

Pninus Virginiana. See Cerasus. Several South Carolina 
species furnish fruit, which is eatable, and often employed for 
various domestic purposes. 

WILD CHEERY, | p^^^^^^ Virginiana, Ell. Sk. 
Diffused in upper and lower districts ; Newbern. Fl. May. 

U. S. Disp. 576; Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. x, 197, and xiv, 
27 ; Bberle, Mat. Med. 300 ; Bell's Pract. Dicf. 389 ; Pe. Mat. 
Med. arfd Therap. ii, 538; Le Mat. Med. ii, 487; Phil. Trans. 
418, and Michaux, N. Am. Sylva, ii, 205 ; Ball and Gar. Mat. 
Med. 273; CuUen, Mat. Med. 288; Lind. ^^'at. Syst. Bot. 147; 
Woodv. Med. Bot.; Grriffith, Med. Bot. 288; Carson's lUust. 
Med. Bot. pt. 1. This is, undoubtedly, one of the most valuable 
of our indigenous plants. The bark unites with a tonic power 
the property of calming irritation and diminishing nervous 
excitability, " adapted to cases where the digestive powers are 
impaired, and with general and local iiTitation existing at the 
same time." It is peculiarly suited to the hectic fever attend- 
ing scrofula and consumption, owing to the reduction of excita- 
bility which it induces, it is supposed, by the hydrocyanic acid 
contained in it. Bberle states that the cold infusion had the 
effect of reducing his pulse from seventy-five to fifty strokes in 
the minute. In a case of hypertrophy with increased action of 
the heart, I tried the infusion of this plant, taken in large 
quantities, according to Dr. Eberle's plan, but without very 
satisfactory results. It was persisted in for three weeks ; the 
patient, a gentleman aged twenty-five, of nervous temperament, 
drinking several ounces of it three times a day. The force of 
the circulation was at first diminished ; but the abatement was 
not progressive; the individual was not made any worse by it. 
Tincture of digitalis had been likewise used with no beneficial 
effects. Dr. Wood speaks of the employment of the wild cherry 



196 

in the general debility following inflammatory fever. It is 
valuable, also, in dyspepsia, attended with neuralgic symptoms. 
Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. v, 159 ; Bull des Sci. Med. xi, 
303. The bark is indicated whenever a tonic is necessary, from 
impairment of the constitution b}" syphilis, dyspepsia, pulmonary 
or lumbar abscess, etc. I am informed by a correspondent 
that he finds equal parts of this bark, rhubarb, and the gum 
exuding from the peach tree, {Amygdalus communis,') which like- 
wise aflbrds Prussic acid, when combined with brandy and 
white sugar, an excellent remedy in dysentery and diarrhoea; 
one ounce of each is added to one pint of brand}-, with a suffi- 
cient quantity of white sugar, a tablespoonful of which is taken 
every half hour. The sensible, as well as the medicinal prop- 
erties of this plant, are impaired by boiling ; cold water ex- 
tracts its virtues best. The inner bark is officinal. The bark 
of all parts of the tree is used, but that from the root is most 
active. The bark is stronger, if collected from the root in 
autumn, and it deteriorates by keeping. It is tonic, sedative, 
expectorant. The officinal infusion is thus made : liark bruised, 
half an ounce to one pint of cold water; macerate for twenty- 
four hours. Dose, two or three fluid ounces three or four times 
a day. To make the officinal syrup : Take of wdld cherr}' bark, 
in coarse powder, five ounces; sugar, refined, two pounds; 
water sufficient to moisten the bark thoroughly. Let it stand 
for twenty-four hours in a close vessel ; then transfer it to a per- 
colator, and pour cold water upon it gradually until a pint of 
filtered liquor is obtained. To this add the sugar, in a bottle, 
and agitate occasionally until it is dissolved. Dose one-half fluid 
ounce. By Proctor's anal}'si8, it contains starch, resin, tannin, 
gallic acid, fatty matter, lignin, salts of lime potassa and iron, 
and a volatile oil associated with hydrocyanic acid. This proved 
fatal to a cat in less than five minutes. See Journal Phil. Coll. 
Pharm. vi, 8 ; Am. Journal Pharm. x, 197. The leaves, also, 
are sedative and anti-spasmodic; used in coughs, angina pec- 
toris, etc. The dose of the powdered root is from twenty grains 
to one drachm. The infusion is the most convenient form. A 
syrup is also made ; beside several secret preparations. 

The method of making -^ Chen-y" cordial by the Southern 
matrons in the lower country of South Carolina, is as follows : 
Fill the vessel with cherries, (not washed, if gathered clean,) 



197 

and cover with whiskey. After several weeks pour off all 
the clear liquor and press the cherries through a sieve. Put 
into the juice thus pressed out five pints of brown sugar, and 
boil with syrup enough to sweeten the whole. Pour five pints 
of water on the thick part ; boil and strain to make the syrup 
with the sugar. " Blackberry cordial " is made in the same 
way; or it can be stewed, strained, sweetened and whiskey 
added. In the above, the sugar is to be boiled in the water 
which is obtained from the thick part as directed. 

Plum cordial is thus made in S. C. : Fill the vessel with plums 
after sticking each one. Pour whiskey enough to cover them. 
After six weeks preserve the plums in half their weight of. 
sugar. Put all together and shake the jug well. The common 
wild plum is used. 

The gum which exudes from the red cherry, the plum and 
peach, is used in place of gum arable in increasing the brilliancy 
of starch and in sealing envelopes. 

The wood of this tree is highly valuable, being compact, fine 
grained and brilliant, and not liable to warp when perfectly 
seasoned. When chosen near the ramifications of the trunk, it 
rivals mahogany in the beauty of its curls. Farmer's Encyc. 

"WTT D OP^IVPF 1 ^'S^'^'^ws Cr/ro^iniana, Mich. 

' ) Prunus Caroliniana, L., Ell. Sk. 
Fl. March. 

This is one of the most ornamental of our indigenous ever- 
green trees, and is planted around dwelling houses. The berries, 
bark and leaves possess in a high degree the taste character- 
izing the genus. It deserves an analysis. 

This tree, the flowers of which are much frequented by bees, 
grows abundantly on the seacoast of our States, and is certainly 
one of the most beautiful and manageable evergreens that we 
possess. It can be cut into any shape, and is of a most attrac- 
tive green color. It forms an impervious hedge and grows 
rapidly. The black, oval berries contain an abundance of 
Prussic acid, as does the whole tree ; but I do not know of any 
use to which it is applied. Dr. Thompson has found great use 
from Prussic acid, largely diluted, as a local application in im- 
petigo. He used the infusions of bayberry ; no doubt the 
infusions of the wild orange would be equally useful. In the 
Patent Office Eeports, Agriculture, 1854, '55, p. 37G, are papers 



198 

on "Live fences," or the planting and management of quick-set 
hedges. In this the reader will find a most full and satisfactory- 
account of the desirable plants for hedges, both American and 
European. This is not the place for a full description of these 
plants and shrubs ; but I will at any rate give a list of some of 
them, and refer the reader to the article. All are of course not 
adapted to our climate. The English sloe, or black thorn, (Pninus 
spinosa,) the hawthorn, {Cratcegns oxyacantha,) and the buck- 
thorn, {Rhamnus catharticus,) have been planted in this country 
with indifferent success on account of the intense heat of our 
Southern sun. " The ' Washington Thorn,' (C. cordata,) grow- 
ing in mountains of Georgia, was also brought into notice as a 
hedge plant toward the close of the last century, and was sub- 
sequently employed for that purpose in various sections of the 
Union ; but owing to improper management, and the tendency 
to disarm itself of its spines after a certain age, it has been 
discontinued. Similar results have attended the adoption of 
other species of thorny trees and shrubs in this country, with 
the exception of the ' Osage orange,' the ' Spanish bayonet,' 
(^Yucca,) and the 'Cherokee rose.'" These are natives of this 
continent. See article for modes of management, planting, 
etc., of hedges, with illustrations on wood. The Arbor Vit(v, 
(^TJuija occidental is,) one of our native plants, growing only in 
the highest mountains, is said to be " indigenous, and to grow 
abundantly on the banks of the Hudson, making the finest orna- 
mental hedge known to this climate." The hoUj' (Ilex opacn) 
and the hemlock spruce (Abies canadensis) should be mentioned ; 
also the willow box, (Buxus sempervirens ;) prickly ash, (Xan- 
thoxylum fraxineum ;) honey locust, (Gleditschia tiiacanthus) — 
all these are either natives or are cultivated in the Southern 
States. See Willow and Osage Orange. 

PEACH, (Amygdalus.) The peach produces abundantly in the 
Southern States. The root, leaves and kernels are sometimes 
employed in medicine, and in seasoning drinks, condiments, 
etc., being indebted for any virtues which the}" possess to the 
hydrocyanic acid contained in them. A tea of the leaves is a 
favorite domestic palliative in whooping-cough, and in most 
pectoral affections. A tea or syrup made with either the bark, 
leaves or flowers, will act freely as a purge. Dose for a child, a 
teaspoonful repeated every half hour till it operates. A syrup 



199 

may be made by adding honey. The leaves are astringent and 
stj'^ptic, and used in domestic practice to arrest bleeding — em- 
ployed powdered as a snutf in the nose in epistaxis, to stop 
bleeding. The kernel, which is said to yield as much amygdalin 
as bitter almonds, is used in seasoning, and in making the cor- 
dial known as ratifia; also in adding to tonics. The leaves are 
used in seasoning creams in imitation of vanilla bean. The 
liquor known as peach brandy is distilled from the fruit. The 
leaves put in layers with cotton, and boiling water poured over, 
will dye yellow. The cotton or thread should first be boiled in 
a solution of alum. The leaves of artichoke (Cynara) also dye 
a yellow color ; see " Rhus." Fumigation with tobacco smoke, 
sy»i-inging with tobacco water, and washing with strong lime 
water, are requisite for destroying aphides whenever these exist 
in such swarms as to make a copious discharge of honey-dew. 
Wilson's Rural Cyclopoedia, Art. Aphis. 

Drymg Peaches. — Several modes of affecting this are pursued. 
When done in-doors, furnaces should be placed in the cellar, 
from which the heated air may rise into the building suitably 
provided with shelves, etc. 

In some of the Southern States, says Mr. Kenrick, the pro- 
cess is facilitated by a previous scalding. This is effected by 
immersing baskets of the fruit a few minutes in kettles of boil- 
ing water. The}' are afterward halved, the stones separated, 
and being laid with the skins downward, the drying is effected 
in the sun in three days of good weather. They then may be 
stored in boxes. 

In France, as we are informed, peaches and other fruits are 
thus dried whole: The peaches or other fruits, being pared, are 
boiled for a few minutes in a syrup consisting of one pound 
of sugar dissolved in three quarts of water, and after being 
drained, by being laid singly on board-dishes, they are placed 
in the oven after the bread is taken out, and when sufficiently 
dry they are packed in boxes. The following is the mode of 
drying practiced by Mr. Thomas Bellangee, of Egg Harbor, 
New Jersey: He has a small house provided with a stove, and 
drawers in the sides of the house lathed at their bottoms, with 
void intervals. The peaches should be ripe, and cut in two, not 
peeled, and laid in a single layer on the laths, with their skins 
downward, to save the juice. On shoving in the drawer, they 



200 

arc soon dried by the hot air prodiiood by the stove. In this 
way great quantities may successively, in a single season, bo 
prepared, with a very little expense, in the preparation of the 
building and in fuel. 

The following may be adopted for preserving peaches in cans, 
by which they keep well and retain the flavor: Add half a 
pound of sugar to each pound of peaches. The sugar is put 
into a preserving kettle, with half a pint of water to every 
pound of sugar, heated, and the surface skimmed. Into this 
syrup the peaches, after being pared, are placed and boiled ten 
minutes. The peaches are then put into the cans while hot 
and immediately sealed up. 

1 publish, for the tirst time, in this edition, a suggestion do- 
rived from the observation of Mr. John Commins, a gentle- 
man of much practical ex}ierience, which, if it proves to be 
be true upon further trial, will be of the very greatest advan- 
tage to the whole country, as it will enable us to add largely 
to the production of our fruit trees. This a method to prevent 
the immense destruction b}' insects of the fruit of the peach. 
It consists in interspersing by planting among the trees alter- 
nately China berry or Pride of India trees, {Alelia azederavh.) 
The gentleman who communicated the observation to mo has 
noticed that peach trees shaded by this tree were never in- 
fested by the aphis. Their preventive etifect may depend upon 
the roots, or more probably upon the berries of the China tree 
covering the ground and proving deleterious to the worm which 
attacks the peach. The experiment is one easily made as the 
Pride of India is readily propagated and grows rapidly. Some 
persons adopt the plan of boring a hole in fruit trees and 
inserting calomel, w^hich is said to bo successful. 

The gum which exudes from the peach, plum or cherry, 
answers ihe purpose of gum arable in increasing the brilliancy 
of starch ; also in sealing envelopes. Peach leaves are used as 
a substitute for hops in making yeast biscuits for bread, and 
the leaves are often dried and powdered to flavor tobacco, to 
increase its bulk, and to diminish its strength. The leaves are 
cited by M. Dussauce in his Treatise on Tanning, Philada., 1867, 
as among those employed for Tanning Leather. 

BUFFALO- BEE JIY TEEE, {Shepardia magnoides, N.) Mo. 
Nuttall. I do not know the family of the plant. 



201 

The fruit, resembling currants, of a fine scarlet color and 
growing in clusters, have a rich taste, and are considered 
valuable for making into tarts and preserves. Farmer's Ency- 
clopoedia. 

LUGUMINOSyi^: OR FABACE^. {The Bean Tribe.) 

The sub-orders are distinguished by nutritive, purgative and 
astringent properties. 

YELL(JWW00D, (Cladrastis tinctoria, Jtaf., VirgUia lutea, 
Mx.) Ilill-sides, Tennessee and Kentuck3^ 

The wood is yellow and dyes a beautiful saffron color. 

JAMAICA DOGWOOD, {Piscidia erythrina, L.) 8. Florida. 
Chap. 

The piscidia is said to be used in America for stupefying fish, 
which are taken as readily by this means as with nux vomica. 
Wilson's Kural Cyclopaedia. It yields a highly narcotic and 
diaphort;tic tincture. Griffith. The powdered bark relieves 
toothache. 

To the above, which was contained in the first edition of this 
work, I add the following from the 12th Ed. of the U. S. Disp.: 
Dr. Wm. Hamilton, of Plymouth, England, in a communication 
to the rharm. Journ. iv, Aug., 1844, speaks of this plant as a 
powerful narcotic, capable of producing sleep and relieving pain 
in an extraordinary manner. When a resident of the West Indies 
he had observed its eff'ects as a narcotic in taking fish of the 
largest kind. He was induced to try it as an anodyne in tooth- 
ache, and he found a saturated tincture exceedingly efficacious, 
not only affording relief when taken internally, but uniformly 
curing the pain when introduced upon a dossil of cotton into 
the carious tooth. The bark of the root to be effectual, should 
be gathered during the period of inflorescence in April. When 
chewed, it has an unpleasant acrimony like mezereon. It yields 
its virtues to alcohol, but not to water. He prepared the tinc- 
ture by macerating an ounce of the bark in coarse powder, in 
four fluid ounces of rectified spirit, for twenty-four hours, and 
then filtered it. The dose is a fluid drachm. He first tried it 
on himself, when laboring under severe toothache, taking the 
quantity mentioned in cold water on going to bed. He first 
felt a violent sensation of heat internally, which gradually ex- 
tended to the surface, and was followed by profuse perspiration 



202 

with profound sleep for twelve hours. On awaking he was 
quite free from pain, and without the unpleasant sensations 
which follow a dose of opium. 

Erythrina herbacea. Grows in woods ; seeds scarlet. 

Dr. J. H. Mellichamp writes me that he has heard from an 
excellent source "of remarkable cures in tertiary sj-philis, hav- 
ing been effected with a decoction of the root of this plant." 

WILD INDIGO; HOESE-FLY WEED, (Baptisia tinctoria, 
Ell. Sk.) Grows in rich, shaded lands ; vicinity of Charleston ; 
collected in St. John's; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Barton's Med. Bot. ii, 57; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 153. Its 
virtues reside in the cortical part of the root. In large doses, 
it operates violently as an emetic, cathartic and sub-astringent 
anti-septic. It is said to have proved useful in scarlatina, typhus 
fever, and the condition attendant upon mortification and gan- 
grene. Dr. Comstock found it useful in the latter state, used 
both externally and internall}'. Eclectic Kepert. vi ; U. S. Disp. 
1231. It was employed by Dr. C. not only in existing, but as a 
prophylactic in threatening mortification and gangrene. Dr. 
Thacher speaks highly of its efiicac}' as an external applica- 
tion to obstinate and painful ulcers, and Eberle, (Diseases of 
Children, p. 98,) used a decoction with advantage in the aggra- 
vated cases of ulcerated umbilicus, so frequently met with in 
infants. It may be employed topically, in the form of a cata- 
plasm. The young shoots ma}^ be eaten as asparagus ; but after 
they assume a green color, they act as a drastic purgative. 
Gi'iffith, Med. Bot. 232. The decoction, made with one ounce 
of the recent root to one pint of boiling water, is given in doses 
of a tablespoonful every three or four hours. Dr. Stevens, of 
Ceres, Penn., has emploj-ed a decoction of the root advantage- 
ously in epidemic dysentery. N. Y. Journ. Med. iv, 358. The 
ointment, prepared by simmering the fresh root in lard, is ap- 
plied to ulcers and burns. Darlington in his Fl. Cestrica, says 
it yields a blue color of an inferior quality. See Indigo, {Indi- 
gofera amorpha.') The fresh plant attached to the harness of 
horses keeps off flies — much used in Virginia for this purpose. 
There is no gum exuding from it and the odor is not pungent, 
but it seems to prove hostile to them. I have noticed that they 
will not remain upon the plants. 

£. leucophcea, Nutt. B. bracteata, Muhl. Cat. Grows in dry 
^soils ; found in Georgia also. Fl. April. 



203 

Sent to me from Abbeville District by Mr. Reed, by whom 
I am informed that a decoction of the leaves and branches is 
considered stimulant and astringent, and was used by Dr. 
Branch, of that district, with great satisfaction in all cases of 
mercurial salivation. 

YELLOW CLOVEE; LUCERN; NONESUCH, {Medicago 
lupuli7ia, L.) Introduced. Waste places Florida and westward. 

It has been planted extensively as a clover, but is not so 
valuable as other species — the M. sativa, for example. See 
"Wilson's Rural Cyclopoedia for a long article on "Clover" and 
" Lucern." 

MELILOT; SWEET CLOVEE, (MeUlotus officinalis, Ph.) 
Completely nat. says Elliott, around Charleston. N. C. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 37. The infusion of the flowers is 
emollient and anodyne, and is employed in inflammation of the 
intestines, retention of urine, tympanites, etc. Am. Herbal 
222; T^. S. Diap. 1275. It is thought to be possessed of verj'- 
little efficacy in medicine, but is used as a local application, in 
the fo)'m of decoction or cataplasm, in inflammatory diseases. 
Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 153 ; Journal de Pharm. xxi, 152. A 
principle called coumarin exists abundantly in the flowers of 
the melilotus, and it j)osscsses an odor which is attributed to 
the presence of benzoic acid. See Vogel's Anal. Nouv. Journal 
de Med. viii, 270 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 293 ; Flore 
Med. iv, 229 ; Aubulet, Voyage, ii, 454 ; Haller, Hist. Stirp. Helv. 
362. The flowers are employed in flatulent colic, and in rheu- 
matism, and the decoction for fomentations. Wilson states that 
it is used in making the famous Gruyere, or Schabzieger cheese, 
and is the cause of its peculiar flavor — the flower and the seeds 
in a dried state being bruised or ground and mixed with the 
curd before pressing. Any mixture of the seeds with bread 
corn renders the latter very disagreeable. Melilot, Wilson adds, 
was long used in making a blister plaster which bore its name, 
and acquired from it a gi'een color and a disgusting smell, and 
was of exceedingly little value. Eural Cyc. 

EED CLOVER, (Tn/o/iMm^rflfense,L.) Vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; Newbern. 

Dem Elem. de Bot. ii, 36. All the species contain a mucous, 
nutritive principle. In Ireland, when food is scarce, the pow- 
dered flowers are mixed with bread, and are esteemed whole- 



20i 

some and nutritious. Fl. Scotica, of Lightfoot. Some are said 
to produce vertigo and tj^mpanites in cattle which feed on them. 

EABBIT-POOT; FIELD CLOVBE, {Trifolium arvense, 
Linn.) " Grows sparingly in the upper districts." Collected 
in St. John's, Charleston District; Newbern. Fl. April. 

Wade's PI. Rarioros, 56. Dickerson observes that the dried 
plant is highly aromatic, and retains its odor. It has been used 
in dj'sentery. Withering, 636 ; Fl. Scotica, 406. 

WILD BUFFALO CLOVER, (Trifolium reflexum.) Upper 
districts; vicinity of Charleston; collected in St. John's; N. C. 

It affects very sensibly the salivary glands. I have noticed 
horses in Virginia violently salivated from eating this or other 
plants. 

WHITE CLOVER, (Trifolium repeyis, L.) Vicinity of 
Charleston; collected in St. John's ; JSTewbern. Fl. May. 

Ell. Bott. ii, 201. This also affects the salivary glands, some- 
times producing complete salivation. Fl. Scotica, 404, Its 
leaves are a good rustic hygrometer, as they are always r<?iaxed 
and flaccid in drj^ weather, but erect in moist and rainy. 

MILK-VETCH, (Astragalus.) There are five species of this 
genus within our limits. I refer to them because the seeds of 
A. boeticus, planted in Germany and England, are found to be 
the very best substitute for coffee yet tried, and so used — roasted, 
parched, and mixed with coffee. Our species of Vicia, tare, 
vetch, and Lathyrus should also be tried. 

EDIBLE PSORALEA, (Psoralea esculenta.) The bread 
root, growing in Missouri, is eaten by the inhabitants of the 
plain, and the Rocky Mountains. Rural Cyclopoedia. 

CAROLINA WILD INDIGO, (Indigofera (laroliniana, Walt.) 
Grows in dry soils ; vicinity of Charleston ; collected in St. 
John's Berkeley ; Newbern. Fl. May. 

Not inferior, says Nuttall, to the cultivated indigo. It does 
not, however, possess so much coloring matter. The decoction 
of the leaves is said to act as an emetic when given in large 
quantities; in smaller doses it is cathartic. " F. I. S.," a cor- 
respondent of the Charleston Mercury, says: "Our country 
ladies gather icild indigo, and ferment from it a blue powder 
equal to the commercial indigo, which dyes a beautiful and last- 
ing blue. A solution of this powder in water is a speedy and 
certain relief for cramp and asthma. The red sumach dyes a 



205 
rich dark or light purple, as in required." See Wild Indigo, 

Indigofera anil, L. Introduced. 

Formerly cultivated and employed in the manufacture of in- 
digo. 

INDIGO, (Indigofera tinctoria.) Introduced. Once cultiva- 
ted in South Carolina to a large extent ; see Indigofera anil. 
Collected in St. John's Berkeley. Fl. June. 

Drayton's View of South Carolina ; Merat and de L. Diet, de 
M. Med. iii, 601. According to Laennec, the decoction of the 
root possesses the property of acting against poison, and is use- 
ful in nephritic diseases. In Jamaica, it is employed to destroy 
vermin. The leaves are alterative, and are given in hepatic dis- 
orders. Ainslie, Mat. Med. Ind. i, 180 ; ii, 33 ; Journal de Bo- 
tanique, v, 11 ; Ann. de Chim. Ixviii, 284; M. and de L. Sup- 
plem. 1846, 383; Martius, Syst. Mat. Med. 126; Perollet, 
Mem. •ur la culture dcs indigoferes tinctoriaux, Paris, 1833 ; 
L'Herminier, Resume des obs. faites sur plusieurs espeees indi- 
goferes de Guadeloupe ; see Journal de Pharm. xix, 257 ; A. 
Saint Hiliare, "Hist, of Indigo, from the first account of it till 
the year 1833," (Ann. desSci. Nat. vii, 110;) Mem. on Indigo, 
in the Comptes Jlendus Hebdom. of Acad. Nat. Sci. 19lh Dec. 
1836, 445 ; Dumas' Mem. upon Indigo, its Composition, etc., in 
the Journal de Chim. Med. iii, 66, 1837 ; D. Erdmann, Rech. 
upon Indigo, (in French, also,) in the 26th vol. Journal de Pharm. 
460, 1840, and the report upon the proposed extraction of indigo 
from Polygonum tinctorium. See Journal de Pharm. xxxvi, 274. 
Indigo itself has acquired some celebrity in the treatment of 
epilepsy — results doubtful, as large quantities may be taken — 
an electuary or syrup was used. Dungl. New Remedies, 361. 
Griffith. See, also. Roth in PereirasMat. Mediea. The remains 
of the indigo plantations, with the vats in which indigo was 
prepared, are still to be seen in the lower districts of South Car- 
olina, bordering on the Santee River. Since the introduction of 
cotton and rice it is cultivated, though not very largely. 

On the cultivation, preparation, etc., of indigo, Woad, (^Isatis 
tinctoria,) see Chaptal's Chemistry applied to Agriculture, p. 
295; lire's Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines, arti- 
cles " Indigo," "Calico Printing;" also, Penny Cyclopoedia. I 
must content myself simpl}' with a reference to the source of 



206 

information. The 1. anil is also used for the production of in- 
digo. The vSo. Cultivator, vol. ii, p. 58, contains a full account 
of the preparation of indigo. To avoid the deleterious effects 
of fermented indigo, Dr. Roxburg, of India, states that he suc- 
ceeds perfectly by the " scalding process." This is doubted. 
See, also, Southern Cultivator, p. 15, vol. 6, report of a Commit- 
tee of the Georgia Agricultural Association. They recommend 
the Indigofera argentea, or wild indigo of Georgia, which is not 
included by Chapman in his Fl. of So. States. I insert the fol- 
lowing. 

The directions for preparing I obtained, many years ago, 
from an old and respectable planter in South Carolina. The 
manuscript which he delivered to me was from the pen of one 
who had been extensively engaged in the cultivation and prep- 
aration of indigo for market, before the Revolution. It has 
never been published ; and may, therefore, impart information 
on a process little known by the present generation : 

" The pigment, or dyeing substance of the indigo, is obtained 
from the leaves. There are several species of this jilant. The 
French indigo, Indigofera tinctoria, yields the greatest quantity, 
and is cultivated in India; but the quality is inferior to the In- 
digofera argentea, or wild indigo. The former is distinguished 
by its pinnate leaves, the smaller ribs expanding from the prin- 
cipal rib like the feathers of a quill, similar to the leaves of the 
pear and of the lime tree, and by a more slender, ligneous stem. 
It rises, in a rich soil, and when well cultivated, to the height 
of six feet. 

" The seeds are sown as early in the spring as the climate and 
season will warrant. In the West Indies, the planting com- 
mences in March, in trenches about a foot asunder ; and the 
weed is cut doAvn in May. In South America, six months elapse 
before it can be cut. In the former, generally four cuttings are 
obtained of the same plant in the course of a year ; but in the 
latter, never more than two, and often only one. The cutting 
takes place when the plant is in blossom, and is done with the 
sickle. Fresh plantings of the seed are required yearly. 

" Commence the cutting of the weed in the evening, in time 
to have the steeper set before it is dark. The plants are laid in 
strata, and pressed down by weights. When a sufficient quan- 
tit3^ of them are Laid, pour in water to the height of about four 



207 

inches above them. One inch and a half above the surface of 
the watei' bore a hole through the side of the vat, and directly 
over the trough which is to convey the liquor into the beater. 
When the fermentation has commenced the liquor will rise and 
run over. Let it remain until the stream has ceased, or nearly 
so. This, in hot weather, will be from ten to fourteen hours 
after the water has been poured upon the weed, or on the follow- 
ing morning. Immediately draw off into the beater, and com- 
mence the agitation. Continue this for about twenty minutes, 
and then let in the lime water until you have plenty of grain, 
but not very coarse. The agitation must be carried on, and 
frequent use be made of the plate. As soon as a change in the 
color is perceived, from a muddy green to a purple or blue, the 
beating should cease. This operation usually requires an hour. 
There can be no certain rule as to the quantity of lime water 
to be used, or the length of time for continuing the agitation. 
If the indigo be not sufficiently steeped, it will require more lime 
water, and longer beating, and vice versa. Having obtained the 
fine blue tint you wish, stop the agitation, and pour in an addi- 
tional quantity of lime water, which will cause the grains to 
collect and settle in a short time. Be careful, however, not to 
add so much as to give the liquor a yellow or red tinge : it 
should be of a clear, but pale green. As the sediment subsides, 
commence drawing off the water through the upper plugs, and 
so on to each successively, until the mud alone remains at the 
bottom of the vat or beater. In the evening this should be re- 
moved into the drainer, and by the morning following it will be 
well drained and cracked, which it should be before it is taken 
out. Having first pressed out the water remaining in it, work 
up the mud ; give it a second pressui'e, and work it up again 
until it becomes stiff. After this, submit it to a third pressure, 
for cutting. Should your indigo incline to mould on the drying- 
boards, as it is apt to do in rainy or damp weather, the mould 
must be wiped off; otherwise it may turn to a gray color. Let 
it remain upon the drying-boards until you plainly see the qual- 
ity ; afterward it may be put up in small barrels. In continued 
damp weather, during the manipulating and drying process, 
put the greenish indigo in the sun, and turn it frequently. As 
soon as it begins to crack, take it in. 

"Good indigo is known by its lightness, or small specific 



208 

gravit}', indicating the absence of earthy impurities; by the 
mass not readily parting with its coloring mattei', when tested 
by drawing a streak with it over a white surface ; but above all 
by the purity of the color itself. The first quality, esteemed by 
this last test, is called, in commercial language, yine blue; the 
next, ordinary blue ; then fine purple, etc. The most inferior is 
known as ordinary copper." 

The most satisfactory information can be got in the Patent 
Office Eeports, and from Mr. Spalding, Liebig, Chaptal, the En- 
cyclopoedia, etc., etc. Several varieties are cultivated. The 
Indigofera disperma is used in Gruatemala, and makes the best 
and most beautiful article. The Indigofera tinctoj'ia, formerly 
cultivated in South Carolina and Georgia, is the most productive, 
and the increase in quantity will make up the deficiency in 
price. 

The following is the account of the method of cultivating and 
manufacturing indigo, furnished by Mr. T. W. Glover, of 
Orangeburg, S. C, and published by Mr. Tuomey, in his Geology 
of S. Carolina, 1848 : 

" Indigo was planted in South Carolina at any early period, 
and was extensively cultivated, and constituted an important 
item in the exports of the colony, till rice, in the lower country, 
and cotton, almost everywhere, supei'seded it. 

"In Orangeburg District it has never been abandoned, and 
the following exhibit will show the number of acres planted, 
and the amount made in three several years : 

Years. Acres planted. Amount made. 

1831 953 27,700 lbs. 

1841 1,091 34,150 lbs. 

1842 1,337 35,935 lbs. 

" The average production per acre, therefore, was 29 lbs. in 
1831, 31 lbs. in 1841, and 26 lbs. in 1842. Some planters, how- 
ever, in 1842 made upwards of 60 lbs. per acre. 

"The price of Carolina indigo varies from 40 to 80 cts., and 
much of it is vended in the interior or in the neighboring States. 
Light and sandy land, which will not yield more than 500 lbs. 
seed cotton per acre, is generally appropriated to this culture, 
the better soils being reserved for cotton. 

" Two species of indigo have been cultivated here — the tame, 
which is an annual plant, and the wild, which is septennial. The 



209 

latter, reproducing Beven years successively and affording a 
better and finer dye, has almost entirely supplanted the former. 

" The seed is planted about the 15th April, in trenches eighteen 
inches asunder, made sometimes with the plow, and it is after- 
ward worked with the hoe. The wild indigo may be cut once 
during the first year, but it is frequently not touched till the 
second. The ground is hoed over every subsequent year, 
about the last of March, and before the plant appears. One 
bushel of seed is enough, and is used for four acres planted in 
drill. The weed is cut (after the first year) twice annually, 
early in June and again in September; and the hoe is used, 
even after the second cutting, that the land may be left free of 
grass. 

^^Manufacture. — Three vats or tanks, made of wood, and 
water tight, are employed in the manufacture of indigo. First, 
the steeper, which is sixteen feet square and twenty-six inches 
deep ; second, the beater, sixteen feet by twelve, and four feet 
deep ; and third, the lime vat, which is ten feet square and three 
feet deep, into which is put two bushels of lime, and, in the 
process of manufacturing, one-half bushel is added to each sub- 
sequent vat made. When the plant begins to bloom, it is cut 
with hooks, early in the morning, and two wagon loads are put 
in the steeper, which is filled with water by pumps, or, if the 
locality admits, by troughs from a hill-side. Laths are placed 
over the weed, which is entirely immersed under the water, 
where it remains until sufficiently steeped. The indications by 
which the sufficiency of the steeping is judged are various, and 
mainly depend on experience. If the fermentation stops, or the 
leaves cease to be brittle, or the water subsides, it is drawn 
from the steeper into the beater, the former being elevated above 
the latter to admit the free passage of the liquid through 
troughs. When in the beater, a wheel, with arms placed on a 
shaft, is used to stir and agitate the liquid for about fifteen 
minutes. Lime water is then added from the lime vat till a 
cloudy hue appears; with an addition of lime water, it is again 
agitated thirty or forty minutes, until granulation begins. 
After beating, or this process of agitation, the liquor remains at 
rest about four hom's, when, from its affinity for and combina- 
tion with the lime, and from its greater specific gravity, the dye 
stuif is precipitated and the liquid is drawn ofi'. The drug 
14 



210 

deposited at the bottom of the beater is then collected and re- 
moved into a box five feet square and fourteen inches deep, 
called the drainer, which is placed on a bed of t^and, and inside 
of which, and in contact with the sand, is a coarse cloth, (cot- 
ton osnaburghs.) Prom the drainer the indigo is placed in a 
box three feet long and fourteen inches wide, called the press, 
in which a stout cloth is also put and folded over the indigo. 
It is then pressed until sufficiently drj-, and cut into pieces 
about two inches square, which are placed separately for several 
days, and then put into barrels for the market. 

Culture and Manufacture of Indigo. — A writer under the 
signature of " Oconee " says : " The soils best adapted to it are 
the rich, sandy loams, though it grows on most lands mode- 
rately well, provided they are not wet. The ground should 
be well broken, and kept light and free from grass by the plow. 
The nature of the manure used exerts a great influence upon 
the quantity and quality of its coloring principle. Those sub- 
stances that act as stimulants to vegetation, such as lime, pou- 
drette, ashes, etc., etc., favor the growth of the plant without 
injuring the coloring matter. When barn-yard manure has been 
largely used, a crop of grain should first be raised on the land. 

" The seed should be mixed with ashes or sand, and sown in 
drills fourteen inches apart, four quarts of seed to the acre. In 
this climate, (Middle Georgia,) the seed should be sown the first 
of April. When it first comes up it should have the grass picked 
out with the hand. When an inch or two high the grass 
between the rows should be cut out with the hoe or scraper, 
and the soil loosened about the roots. Three weedings are 
enough before the fii'st cutting, which should commence as soon 
as the plant throws out its bloom. It is so easily injured by 
the sun after being cut, that the operation should be commenced 
and end in the afternoon. After cutting with the reap-hook, it 
is put under the shed until it can be put in the vats. In Greorgia, 
the two cuttings yielded sixty pounds of indigo to an acre, pro- 
vided the roots were not injured in the first cutting, which, at 
three acres to the hand, would be one hundred and eighty 
pounds ($180.) The price varies from 30 cents to $2 25 per 
pound for the best Guatemala. 

'•Like other plants, it has its enemies. The leaves are fre- 
quently seen covered with yellow spots, owing to some change 



211 

in the atmosphere. It often happens that in consequence of a 
degree of heat and drouth, the plant is not fully developed ; 
the leaves are not more than one-third their proper size, yet 
exhibit all the properties of a perfect plant. If the plant is cut 
in this imperfect state the crop is lost, for the indigo is not well 
developed. An insect (the flea) often destroys the first crop of 
leaves. Next, a louse destroys the plant later in the season ; 
this, however, is not so bad as the first. The cutworm also 
commits some depredations upon it. 

" Manufacturing Process. — Two methods are used, the cold and 
the hot. The cold is the safest; the plant must be in a certain 
state to use the hot. 

" 1st. By Gold Water. — The weed is put in the vat and cov- 
ered with clear water, where it remains until the color of the 
liquid becomes a light olive ; this is about ten hours; the weed 
must be pressed down by heavy scantling laid upon it,. Draw 
the liqwid off into the churn or beater. The churning must now 
be commenced, and kept up until the fluid becomes lighter in 
its general shade, and the blue fecula are seen in the water ; 
which sooner begins from small quantities of lime water being 
added from time to time during the process of beating. The 
quantity of lime water that is used should be not more than 
one-tenth of the liquid that is in the vat. If the lime water bo 
all thrown in at once, the lime more than saturates the carbonic 
acid, and the carbonate thus formed will be precipitated, and 
thus injure the indigo. After the fecula shows itself distinctly 
in the water, the vat is allowed to be still for four or five hours, 
then the clear water is drawn off by faucets at different heights, 
so as to allow the indigo to be precipitated in the bottom. 

" 2d. The Hot Process. — The weed is put in the vat, boiling 
water is let on so as to saturate the plant, and full}^ cover it. 
The weed is kept down by scantling thrown upon it. Allow 
the water to stand from five to fifteen minutes, according to the 
effect above mentioned. Draw it off through a faucet and sieve 
into the beater ; repeat until all the coloring matter is extracted ; 
beat or churn as above, omitting the lime water; remainder of 
the process the same. 

" The precipitated indigo still requires some further operations 
to bring it to a state of perfection, (though it can be dried and 
sent to the market as it now is.) It contains particles that are 



212 

imperfectly oxydated ; consequently it has neither the color nor 
propei'ties of the best indigo. Continued beating would bring 
these to a proper state ; but it would cause the particles first 
oxydated to imbibe an additional quantity of oxygen, by which 
the color is too much deepened, and the article would be rejected 
in commerce as burnt. To avoid this, throw over the liquid fe- 
cula a volume of warm water double the quantity of the fecula, 
stirring it all the while; by this means the perfect indigo will 
be precipitated, the other held in suspension. This water is 
drawn off, and lime added, etc., as above, by which the green 
color becomes a j^ellow brown, and the indigo is rendered insol- 
uble and precipitated. That indigo may be pure and brilliant, 
it should be twice washed — once in cold, and once in hot water. 
After washing, allow the fecula to settle, then draw off the 
water. 

"The last purification now is to mix the fecula with another 
quantity of water, in a vat having several faucets. While it is 
suspended, the earths are precipitated; draw off while stirring, 
and allow to settle. The last operation consists in putting the 
fecula in a coarse bag of hemp or wool, and this bag in an open 
basket to drain, placing weights upon it until it becomes tightly 
compressed. These last operations are not requisite if a very 
common article is to be made ; but it is well to follow all the 
purifications. The increase in price will cover the increase of 
trouble." 

" Indigo Vat. — Description. — For every set of ten hands there 
should be what are called a set of works. These formerly cost 
about one hundred dollars or more, and were a vat or tank, 
made of plank two inches thick, well joined. This vat is twenty 
feet square, stands upon posts four feet from the ground, and is 
kept tight by wedges driven into the sleepers upon which the 
plank rests. The vat is three feet deep, and is called the steeper. 
Alongside of it is another vat, twenty feet by ten, occupying 
the space between the bottom of the steeper and the ground, 
into which the water is drawn in which the indigo is steeped 
when ready to be beat, or churned, as we may say. At the end 
of this last vat a small tank or cask must be placed, to furnish 
lime water in the process of beating. The liquor is drawn from 
the steeper by a spigot at the bottom of the vat along the beater. 
Lengthwise of this is stretched a beam, resting on its upper 



213 

ends, and revolving on journals, and furnished with cross arms, 
to the ondH of which are fixed open buckets without bottoms, 
containing about two gallons each. Two men, standing on this 
beam, with a handspike fixed to the long beam, alternately 
plunge the open buckets right and left, thus churning the liquid 
until it begins to show a blue fecula, which is produced by small 
quantities drawn from the lime cask." 

The following is the method successfully used on the planta- 
tions in St. John's Berkeley, South Carolina, to prepare a dye 
from the wild and naturalized indigo : 

"Cut the plant, put in a bai-rel, and cover with water. In 
about three days it commences to foam, and it is then ready to 
churn; take out the leaves, and press the liquid out of them. It 
is then to be wliijtped up in a churn with a stick made like a 
dasher. When it foams, a greased feather applied to the sur- 
face will check the foam. In order to test whether the process 
is Huffici15ntly advanced and the blue color extracted, it may be 
tested in a white plate put in the sunlight; the thickened 
grounds will be visible. About a quart of strong lye-water, or 
lime soaked in water, should be first thrown in to settle it. 
This should be done before it is churned. If the coloring sub- 
stance appears to be sufficiently separated by the test mentioned 
above, drain the supernatant water carefully away. The re- 
mainder or sediment, should be placed in a bag to drain. This 
contains the indigo. This indigo may subsequently be moulded 
into cakes. I have seen yarn excellently dyed by it ; also wool, 
which was dyed before it was carded, and made into cloth, 
(1862.) The woods have been eagerly searched for indigo 
plants during the recent war. 

The following process of manufacturing indigo in small quan- 
tities for family use is extracted from the Southern Agri- 
culturist : 

"Cut the indigo when the under leaves begin to dry, and 
while the dew is on them in the morning; put them in a barrel, 
and fill this with rain water, and place weights on to keep it 
under water; when bubbles begin to form on the top, and the 
water begins to look of a redish color, it is soaked enough, and 
must be taken out, taking care to wring and squeeze the leaves 
well, so as to obtain all the strength of the plant ; it must then 
be churned (which may be done by means of a tolerably open 



214 

basket, with a handle to raise it up and down") until the liquor 
is quite in a foam. To ascertain Avhether it is done enough, 
take out a spoonful in a plate, and put a small quantit}' of very 
strojig lye to it. If it curdles, Ihe indigo is churned enough, and 
you must proceed to break the liquor in the barrel in the same 
"way, by putting in lye (^which must be as strong as possible) by 
small quantities, and continuing to churn until it is all sufficiently 
curdled ; care must be taken not to put in two much lye, as that 
will spoil it. When it curdles freely with the lye it must be 
sprinkled well over the top with oil, which immediately causes 
the foam to subside, after which it must stand till the indigo 
settles to the bottom of the barrel. This may be discovered by 
the appearance of the water, which must be letotf gradually by 
boring holes first near the top, and afterward lower, as it con- 
tinues to settle; when the water is all let off, and nothing 
remains but the mud, take that and put it in a bag (flannel is 
the best) and hang it up to drip, allerward spreading it to dry 
on large dishes. Take care that none of the foam, which is the 
strength of the weed, escapes ; but if it rises too high, sprinkle 
oil on it." 

Seven or eight species of indigo are found in the United 
States, most of which grow in the South. The wild indigo, 
(^Dyer's bajptisia,) common in Pennsylvania and other Middle 
States, yields a considerable proportion of blue coloring matter 
of an inferior kind. (Flora Cestrica.) Sec Baptisia, Amorpha 
and Hob i Ilia. 

Blue Dyes. — The materials employed for this purpose are- 
indigo, Prussian blue, logwood, bilberry, ( Vaccinium myrtillus,') 
elder-berries, {Sambacus nigra,) mulberries, privet-berries, (L/gu- 
strum vulgare,) and some other berries whose juice becomes 
blue by the addition of a small portion of alkali, or of the salts 
of copper. I shall here describe the other, or minor blue dyes : 
To dj^e blue with such berries as the above, Ave boil one pound 
of them in water, adding one ounce of alum, of copperas and of 
blue vitriol to the decoction, or in their stead equal parts of 
verdigris and tartar, and pass the stuffs a sufficient time through 
the liquor. When an iron mordant alone is employed, a steel- 
blue tint is obtained ; and when a tin one, a blue with a violet 
cast. The privet-berries, which have been emploj'cd as sap 
colors by the card-painters, nitxy be extensively used in the 



215 

dyeing of Hilk. The berries of the African night shade (Solanum 
guineensc) have been of lute years considerably applied to silk on 
the continent in producing various shades of blue, violet, red, 
brown, etc., but particularly violet. 

i introduce the following general directions, at the risk of 
some repetition, from an article in the Charleston Courier dated 
Gowansville, 1862: 

First. It is important to cleanse the wool, or other material 
to be dyed, from grease and all foreign matters which might 
prevent it from taking the dye. Wool must be well washed in 
warm soap suds, rinsed in warm water, squeezed as dry as 
possible, and then put wet into the dye. Cotton and linen must 
be thoroughly wet in boiling water, and then squeezed or wrung 
out of it and put into the dye wet. 

Secondly. Use a copper caldron for all light and delicate 
colors, and an iron pot for black and all dark colors. The shades 
of colo* will be regulated by the strength of the dye, the num- 
ber of times the article is dipped, or the length of time it re- 
mains in the dye. 

Thirdly. Many dyes that will color cotton will leave wool and 
linen untinged, and some that will color wool deeply will dye 
cotton a very light shade. 

Fourthly. AVhat is used for brightening and making the 
colors durable are called mordants. The mordants used here 
are copperas, (sulphate of iron,) blue vitriol, (sulphate of copper,) 
alum, wheat bran, lye, and lime water. Those who cannot ob- 
tain copperas, use the water from one of the mineral springs, 
which is strongly impregnated with iron. 

Fifthly. The best seasons for dyeing with bark are the spring 
and summer, while the sap is in the tree Autumn is the best 
season for dyeing with leaves, and winter is the season for dye. 
ing with roots, because the sap of the tree then goes into the 
roots. 

Sixthly. Bark and roots must be cut into small pieces; let the 
caldron be two-thirds filled with the pieces, then fill up with 
water, and boil for several hours until the color is as deep as 
desired. If leaves and twigs are used, fill the boiler with them 
and cover with water. Two or three hours steady boiling will 
extract the color from bark, roots, and leaves. Then strain ofi" 
the liquid carefully from the sediment, and put it back into a 



2U5 

vUan boil<i\ mid to i( tho nlum ^m- ^opporsjv'^, or both, uooordini; to 
tho ot^lor dosirod ; lot it bo I'lMuplololy dissv>lvod juid \voll mixod 
in tho dyo. ul'lor whioh inuuorso tho uui wool, yaiii, or oloth in 
tho dyo, mul prooood nooovilim; to tho dothuio dirootions lor 
osvoh ooUm". Hv inixino" ditVoroi\t b:»rks. roots, suid Kmwos to- 
y,othor in tho s:uno vivo :i vnrioty ot' sluuios ot" ililVoront oohu'.s 
:iro obtaiuoil by thosv^ who :uv sUiUoil in t ho art ot' proparin;:; 
domoslio dyo.^. Tho toUow iny; nan\od troos aro nnuh usihI lioro 
for dyoinn' wool and ootton: 

Sassafras, (^7.<it(n/,< ^'(^^>^J//•|^<.^ Tho bark and roots aro usod 
tor dyoino- woi\<(i\l a pornianont and boauiit'nl yolUnv and oran^o 
ooU>r. I'so a oopjuM- boilor anil tivo ounoos oi' alinn to i>no 
pou»\d of wool or worst od yarn. 

Kahnia, {^iUhjusti folia,) or dwart" laurol, liyos cotton a lino drab 
color Uso a ooppor boilor. Tho loavos ai\d twin's ot" tho K a I 
inia and abont ono tablospoonttd of oopporas to throo ji'allons ot' 
dyo. Si'ald tho ootton »»iatorial in tho dyo t'or twoniy nunutos, 
thon rin.so in cold wator and hany; to dry in tho air. 

^Villow•. (^»\vj/«'.r I'ttpiratii f) Tho bark dyos wool and linon u 
doop bhio blrtok. and dyos ootton a ilark slato ooh>r. Uso an 
iron boilor. For blaok. tluvo ounoos ot oopporas to t'our gallons 
ot' dyo; t'or slato ooKm", ono ounoo ot' oopporas is suthoiont. 
Hoil in tho dyo tor twonty numiios, rinso in oold wator anil 
hatii:; to dry. Tho dyo may bo dooponovl by a ropotitii>n ot' tho 
samo proooss in t'rosh dyo. 

l\od Oivk, \^Qfurcus sinuo^iii.) Tho baik and roota dyo a tino 
shado ot' ohooolato brow n. Tso an iron boilor and two ounoos 
vU' oopporas to t'our gallons ot dyo. Hoil twonty minutos in tlto 
dyo and rinso in oold wator. This dyos ootton. Tho Spanish 
(.hik dyos ai\othor shado of brown. 

Whito «.>ak. {^Qucivus iilba.^ Tho bark dyos ootton load color. 
Uso an iron boilor; two ounoos of oopporas to t'our i;allons of 
dyo; scald in tho dyo twonty n\inutos an*l rinso with cold 
wator. O.'ik bark will not dyo w v>ol. 

rino bark, ^^all tho variotios tound in our woods.") dyos cotton 
slato color; oonibinod with tho Kahnia, it dyos dovo color. For 
oaoh oolor, put ono ounoo ot" copperas to t'our gallons of dyo, 
and boil in it t'or twonty minutos. Kinso tho slato oolor in oold 
w ator and tho dovo color in oold lyo. 

Swoot (ium bark dyos ootton dovo oolor. Iso a ooppor boilor; 



217 

rt H])i><iui'ii\ oC <:<)\>\K-.rtiH to l,lir<;<! ^ulloriH of dyo, uri'l mcuM in tlio 
rjyo inv l,w(;ril,y u,iintU:H; ririH*; in f.oid water. To i»ro'lij';<} 
anol.lu'.r i'.h/i(l,i:, rinH*; tlio ^-otton HtuH' in <;ol'J )}'«;-wator, and lia/i^ 
1,0 (\\y in (,li<; Jiir. 

fJuifK^a On-n, ( IIoLcuh i^(>r<jhum.) 'I'lx: «(!<;<! 'JycH j/xa// load 
<:olor, and will not <ly(! cotton, Uhc an iron hoil<;r, a little cop- 
pcraH, and rifiMO in lye, 

^i\.\Ai:^ (Acer cMmpcMtriH^ ) Tlio Icirk dy<;h f;oi,li wool and cot- 
ton a fine dark Kliad<; of purple IJhc an iron hoilcr and two 
OMiiccM of coppcraH to four ^allorm of dy<j; Hcald in liot, dy<; for 
tw'ifity niinutfjH a/id ririMo in cold wat(5r, 

|{<;acli, ( l'\ufun Hijlwdka.) Tlio hark dycH dove color. (Jho 
an iron toiler atid one f>unc,<!of coppcraH to four gallonH of dye; 
ririHo in cold water, or in lye for another whade. 

Hurfiac,li, ( Uhm (ilahrum.) The leavo« and herricH dye hiack, 
Uhc an iron hoihir and four ounccH of coppcraw to four ^alloriH 
of dye,* Hoil the cotton yarn or cloth in the dye for an hour, 
and rifiHc in cold water, (See "Hurnach," for dyen without cofj- 
p< TUH ; vi»i(;^ar and old iron Hcrve the pla<'(! of coppcraH. y 

Wain lit, (.JiKjI.anH nujro..) 'I'he hark and n^otH dy<! cotton 
fawn hrown and root color, according to the proportion of hark 
or of rof^tH arid coj»p(;raH liscd. The IcavcH hoiled into dye eolor 
cotton j>urple a»id wool hIack ; when UHcd without hoilin;^ the. 
leaveH dye wool fawn «;olor. The \rrcA'.u HhellH of the full ^rown 
nutH dye filack, with coppcraH. What in dyed hIack muHt he 
ririHcd iri cohJ water; the cotton fo he dy';d purple muHt ho 
rinHed in ly(;. 'I'he fawn, hrown, and root color rniiHt he rinned 
in cohl water, 'riie pro|)ortion of copperas UHcd for hIack \h 
two ounciJH to four ^allonH of dye; for the other HhadcH, uho 
much IcHrt coppcraH. 

To make a cold dye for wool, fill a tuh with alternate layerH 
of walnut loavoH and wool, then pour on water till all \n cAjvcrcA. 
The next day tak(5 out the wool ari'l dry it in the Hiin, then ro 
{)lac(5 it in anotlnir tuh with alternate layerH of frcKh walnut 
leaveH. Strain off the water from the old walnut IcaveH and 
pour it over the wool and frcHh walnut leav(!H ; let it remain 
again till the next day. lie[M!at thin proccHH for one week, add- 
ing as much wat(!r, from day to day, an to make the dye Hufll- 
cient to cover the wool and freHh leav(;H. This in a fine, j)crma- 
nont /aM;n colored dye. 



218 

Madder dyes loool red. Mix four quarts of wheat bran with 
four gallons of water, and set it to ferment. When it is quite 
sour, strain off the water and dissolve in it a lump of alum the 
size of a fowl's egg. Set the liquid on the fire in a copper kettle, 
and just before it boils mix well into it a half pound of fresh 
madder for every pound of wool. Then put into the dye the 
wet wool or worsted stuff to be dyed, and let it remain im- 
mersed in the dye for an hour, turning and pressing it frequently; 
during which hour the dye must be kept very hot, but must not 
boil, lest the color should be tarnished. When the wool is taken 
from the dye pot, it must be rinsed immediately in cold strong 
lye, or in lime water, and then dried. 

Spanish brown is used for dyeing cotton red. Put a pound 
of Spanish bi'own, powdered, into a little bag, and rub it out in 
a gallon of hot water till the bag is completely emptied of its 
contents. Then put the cotton yarn into the painted water, 
and rub the color into the yarn till all the coloring matter is 
transferred from the water to the yarn. After which, put two 
tablespoonsful of linseed oil into the water and boil the yarn in 
it for fifteen minutes, then hang the yarn to dry. If linseed oil 
cannot be obtained, boil the painted yarn in new milk for fifteen 
minutes. 

Solferino pink. Cut a piece out of the end of a pumpkin 
large enough to admit the hand, take out all the seeds and leave 
the strings in. Mash pokeberries into pulp and fill the cavity 
of the pumpkin with them, stir them up well with the strings 
and put the worsted yarn into the mixture, then cover it up 
close with the piece of pumpkin that was cut out. The next 
day take out'the yarn and dry it in the air; when dry, put the 
yarn back into the pumpkin as before, and cover it up again till 
next day. Eepeat this process every day till the desired shade 
of pink is obtained, then rinse the worsted out in cold, strong 
vinegar, and dry it for use. It will take a week to dye the 
deepest shade of pink. 

Glyceria tomentosa Grows in pine lands. Fl. June. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 387. In Pondicherry, this 
is given to horses in place of oats. Mem. du Museum, vi, 326. 

TUEKEYPEA; GOAT'S EUE; CATGUT, (Tephrosia Vir- 
giniayia, Ph.) Vicinity of Charleston ; IST. C; grows in dry soils. 
Fl. July. 



219 

Lindlej's Med. Flora, 244 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 238. The roots 
were used by Indians, and are now employed in popular prac- 
tice as a vermifuge ; a decoction is said to act as powerfulh' and 
as efficiently as the pink root, (Spigelia.') Attention is invited 
to it. 

Dr. Wood, in the 12th Ed. U. S. Disp., quotes from the Am. J. 
Pharm., xxviii, 218, an account of the experience of Dr. B. O. 
Jones, of Atlanta, Ga., with this plant. He used it with advan- 
tage as a mild, stimulating tonic and laxative, and he found it 
especially useful in typhoid fever. He prepares it by boiling 
eight ounces of the plant with two of Rumex acutus, in four 
quarts of water to a quart, and straining; adding, when the 
preparation is to be kept, an equal bulk of diluted alcohol or 
brandy, and half its weight of sugar, and macerating for several 
days. The dose is one or two tablespoonsful. 

BASTARD INDIGO, (Amorphafruticosa, L.) Florida, S. and 
N. Carolina, and Mississippi. 

This was formerly used in Carolina as an indigo plant, and 
continues to be extensively cultivated in Britain as an ornamen- 
tal shrub. Wilson's Rural Cyclopaedia. 

YELLOW LOCUST TREE; LOCUST; FALSE ACACIA, 
{Rohinia pseudacacia, L.) Grows in the mountains of N. and 
S. Carolina; vicinity of Charleston; collected in lower St. 
John's Berkeley, near Ward's plantation; Newbern. Fl. May. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. The flowers are aromatic and emollient. 
An anti-spasmodic syrup is prepared from ihem; and Gendrin 
states that when given to infants, it produces sleep, vomiting, 
and sometimes slight convulsive movements; he relates a case 
where it was swallowed by boys, in whom acro-narcotic effects 
were induced. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 101 ; Desfont, 
Traite des Arbres, ii, 304; Ann. d'Hort. ix, 168; Ann. Clin, de 
Mont, xxiv, 68. 

Dr. Wood, in the 12th Ed. U. S. Disp., states that the bark of 
the root is said to be tonic, and in large doses, emetic and pur- 
gative, and he reports from the Ann. de Therap. 1860, p. 64, 
three cases of poisoning, in children, from eating the root; they 
all recovered; the symptoms were like those produced by an 
overdose of Belladonna. One of them who happened to be 
laboring under intermittent fever at the time, had no return of 
the paroxysm. He adds, "these facts render caution advisable 



220 

in the use of the root, yet are also well calculated to stimulate 
inquiry." Mills states that "the best bows of the Indians were 
made of this tree." 

The inner bark is fibrous, and may be spun into cordage; the 
wood is of a fine, compact grain, and is used for manufacturing 
purposes. Mem. sur la Eobinia, Mem. de la Soc. d'Agricult. 
1786 ; Francois, Letters on the Eobinia, Paris, 1803 Griffith, 
in his Med. Bot. 239, says that it has not received sufficient 
attention, for "every part is endowed with some good qualit3^'' 
On account of its durability, the wood is much used for tree- 
nails in ship-building ; the leaves, prepared in the same manner 
as those of the indigo, may bo employed as a substitute ; they 
afford an excellent nourishment for cattle, either in the fresh or 
in the dried state. Willich, Domestic Encyc. i, x. Grossier 
(Desc. de la Chine) says that they are used by the Chinese to 
produce the beautiful yellow color so remarkable in their silks. 
It is prepared by roasting half a pound of the half expanded 
flowers in a copper pan over a gentle fire, and stirring them 
continually ; after turning yellow, water is poured over, and it 
is boiled till it acquires a deep color. It is then strained, and 
half an ounce of alum, and the same quantity of shell lime are 
added, when the dye is fit for use. It is possible that this author 
may have confounded this plant with the R. flava. Merat says 
the flowers furnish a palatable dish when fried. The seeds are 
somewhat acrid, but afford a large quantity of oil on expression. 
By infusion in water, they become perfectly mild, and contain 
an excellent farina. 

This tree, both the leaves and flowers of which are beautiful, 
has attracted great attention in England, and its seeds are 
largelj^ imported, to be planted as a hedge and ornamental 
plant, and for various purposes. Almost a mania prevailed 
upon the subject. "No other tree grows more rapidly than 
this, excepting some species of the willow and the poplar." A 
sucker at Chiswick grew twenty feet in one season, with a cir- 
cumference of three inches. When the tree is felled suckers 
spring from the trunk in gi'cat profusion. 

Large quantities are exported to Liverpool for fastening bolts 
in ship-building. C. W. Johnson and others write of it thus : 
" The wheelwright and the coach-builder have employed it for 
axle-trees of carriages; the turner has used it for various pur- 



221 

poses of bis art, and has been delighted with its smooth texture 
and beautifully delicate straw color; fence-makers have used it 
for rail fencing and have found it to stand wet and dry near 
the ground betterthan any other timber in common use, and to 
be as durable as cedar ; landscape gardeners have planted it for 
a combination of ornament and utility. * * Farmers might 
try it for the formation of hedges, and were they to transplant 
it from the nursery when it has a height of about four feet, they 
would find it forming a hedge quite equal in compactness, 
strength, economy and manageableness, to hedges consisting of 
tried and approved plants, and a hedge available as a fence far 
earlier than any other, and capable of being raised to any de- 
sirable elevation. The flowers of the acacia tree are used in 
St. Domingo for making a distilled liquor, and its roots, and 
leaves, and juices contain a considerable proportion of sugar." 
Wilson's Encyc. Eural. The plants are easily propagated by 
pouring boiling water over the beans in the fall ; let them re- 
main twenty-four hours and plant. They grow six or seven 
feet the first season. 

The following highly interesting account of this tree, and the 
mode of cultivating it in the United States, is given by Dr. S. 
Ackerly : 

" The cultivation of the locust tree on Long Island, and in 
other parts of the State of New York, has been attended to 
with considerable profit to the agricultural interest, but not 
with that earnestness which the importance of the subject de- 
mands. This may have arisen from the difficulty of propa- 
gating it by transplanting, or not understanding how to raise it 
from the seed. * * * * * * 

"The locust is a tree of quick growth, the wood of which is 
hard, durable, and principally used in ship building. To a 
country situated like the United States, with an extensive line 
of seacoast, penetrated by numerous bays and giving rise to 
many great rivers, whose banks are covered with forests of ex- 
traordinary growth, whose soil is fertile, rich and variegated, and 
whose climate is agreeably diversified by a gradation of tem- 
perature ; to such a country, inhabited by an industrious and 
enterprising people, commerce, both foreign and domestic, 
must constitute one of the principal employments. As long as 
the country possesses the necessary timber for ship-building, 



and the other advantages which our situation aflPords, the gov- 
ernment will continue to be formidable to all other ]x)wors. 
^Ye have within ourselves four materials necessary for the com- 
pletion of strong and durable naval structures. These are the 
live-oak, locust, cedar and pine, which can be abundantl}^ supplied. 
The former is best for the lower timbers of a ship, while the 
locust and cedar form the upper-works of the frame. The pine 
supplies the timber for decks, masts and spars. A vessel built 
of live-oak, locust and cedar, will last longer than if constructed 
of any other wood. Naval architecture has arrived in this 
place, and other parts of the United States, to as great per- 
fection, perhaps, as in any other country on the globe. Our 
' fir-built frigates' have been compared with the British oak, and 
stood the test ; and in sailing, nothing has equalled the fleet- 
ness of some of our sharp vessels. The preservation and culti- 
vation of these necessary articles in ship-building is a matter of 
serious consideration. It might not be amiss to suggest to the 
Congress of the United States to prohibit the exportation o 
them. The pine forests appear almost inexhaustible, and the 
will be so in all probability for many generations to come ; but 
the stately cedars of Mobile and the lofty forests of Georgia, 
where the live-oak is of a sturdy growth, begin to disappear 
before the axe of the woodsman. The locust, a native of Vir- 
ginia and Maryland, is in such demand for foreign and domestic 
consumption that it is called for before it can attain its full 
irrowth. It has been cultivated as far eastward as lihode 
Island, but begins to depreciate in quality in that State. Insects 
attack it there, which are not so plentifull}' found in this State, 
nor its native situations. These give the timber a worm-eaten 
appearance and render it less useful. The locust has been ex- 
tensivelj'' cultivated in the southern parts of the State of New 
York, but the call for it luis been so great that few trees have 
attained any size before they were wanted for use. Hence they 
arc in great demand, and of read}' sale, and no ground can be 
appropriated for any kind of timber with so much advantage 
as locust. Beside its application to ship-building, it is exten- 
sively used for fencing; and for posts, no timber will last longer, 
in or out of the ground. On Long Island, where wood is 
scarce and fencing timber in great demand, the locust becomes 
of much local importance from this circumstance alone, inde- 



223 

pendent of its great consumption in tliiH city among Hhip- 
builders. In naval KtriictureB it in not exclusively applied to the 
interior or frame. In many placeH where Htrength is wanting, 
locust timber will bear a strain which would break oak of the 
same size. Thus an oak tiller has been known to break near 
the head of the rudder in a gale of wind, which has never hap- 
pened with a locust one. Tillers for large sea vessels are now 
uniformly made of locust in New York. It is the best timber 
also for pins or tree-nails, (con)monly called trunnels,) and pre- 
ferable to the best of oak. The tree gencrail}' grows straight, 
with few or no large limbs, and the fibres of the wood are 
straight and parallel, which makes it split well for making tree- 
nails, with little or no loss of substance. These are made in 
considerable quantities for exportation. 

"The locust tree does not bear transplanting well in this part 
of our country, but this in all probability arises from the custom 
of cutting off the roots when taken up lor that purpose. Most 
of the roots of the locust are long, cylindrical and run horizon- 
tally not far under the surface. In transplanting, so few of the 
roots arc left to the body of the tree removed that little or no 
support is given to the top, and it consequently dies. If care 
was taken not to destroy so much of the roots a much larger 
proportion of those transplanted would live and thrive. So 
great has been the difficulty in raising the locust in this way 
that another method of propagating ii has been generally re- 
sorted to. Whenever a large tree was cut down for use, the 
ground for some distance around was plowed, by which ope- 
ration the roots near the surface were broken and forced up. 
From these roots suckers would shoot up, and the ground soon 
become covered with a grove of young trees. These, if pro- 
tected from cattle by being fenced in, would grow most rapidly, 
and the roots continuing to extend, new shoots would arise, 
and in the course of a few years a thrifty young forest of locust 
trees be produced. The leaves of the locust are. so agreeable to 
horses and cattle that the young trees must be protected from 
their approach. When growing in groves they shoot up straight 
and slender, as if striving to out-top each other, to receive the 
most benefit from the rays of a genial sun. 

" Another difficulty has arisen in propagating the locust from 
inability to raise it from the seed. The seed does not always 



224 

come to perfection in this part of the State of New York, and 
if it does, it will not sprout, unless prepared before planting. 
The method best adapted to this purpose was proposed by Dr. 
Samuel Bard ; but it is not generally known, or if known, is not 
usually attended to. When this shall be well understood and 
practiced, the locust will be easily propagated, and then, instead 
of raising groves of them, the waste ground along fences and 
places where the Lombardy poplar encumbers the earth will 
be selected to transplant them, as by having them separated 
and single there will be an economy in using the soil, the trees 
will grow much better, and the timber be stronger. 

On account of its rapidity of growth and its use in making 
cross-ties on railroads, I would suggest that it be planted along 
railroad embankments for this purpose, 

EOSE ACACIA, (Robinia hispida ; also, Va. rosea.) Moun- 
tains of Georgia and North Carolina. Chapman. 

Wilson speaks of it as a "remarkably beautiful shrub." Its 
shoots of each year, or newest and freshest twigs, cany the 
flowers; so that its old wood may be annually pruned away to 
any extent which the taste of the cultivator or the situation of 
the plants may require. The flowers are large, odorless, and of 
a beautiful rose color. See, also, nearlj' all the English and 
Scotch authorities. 

" Dr. Bard's method of preparing the seeds was to pour boil- 
ing water on them, and let it stand and cool. The hard, outer 
coat would thus be softened, and if the seed swelled by this 
operation, it might be planted, and would soon come up." 

CLAMMY LOCUST, (Eobinia viscosa, Vent.) Grows among 
the mountains of S. and N. C, and in Georgia. Fl. May. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 101. The young branches 
afford an abundant, glossy exudation, secreted by little super- 
ficial glands, wiiich is dissolved by ether ; Vauquelin considers 
it a peculiar product : An. de Chim. xxvii, 223. Chevalier, 
however, doubts it: Diet, des Drogues, iii, 15. 

JAPAN CLOVER; WILD CLOVER, {Lespedeza striata, 
Hooker and Arnott.) Introduced ; Miss, to N. C. 

This plant has recently (1868) attracted great attention as a 
new forage plant, springing up everywhere and attracting uni- 
versal inquiry from farmers and phmters in eveiy portion of the 
Southern countrj^. I have received letters from a number of 



225 

persons asking for information concerning it, as it seemed to 
take the place of other plants, and was greedily eaten by horses, 
cattle and Iiogs. It causes slight salivation in the former. It 
grows abundantly on waste lands, under pine saplings, and 
drives out joint, nut and Bermuda grasses. It is a mistake to 
suppose, however, that it is of recent introduction, as my 
friend, Mr. H. "W. liavenel, of Aiken, S. C, had noticed it in St. 
John's Berkeley, S. C, many years since, and I had sent him 
specimens from Fairfield District, S. C, fifteen years ago. Mr. 
R. having ascertained that it was a Lespedeza has recently 
obtained the specific name from Prof Gray, and the former, in 
an article written in the Aiken Press, first proposed the name 
Japan Clover for it, as it is a native of that distant country. 
Dr. Jno. Bachman has also made it the subject of a communica- 
tion in the Charleston Courier. 

It covers the earth as with a carpet of green ; it is highly 
nourishing and has proved a great acquisition to our people. 
The seed is not winged, and it must be rapidly propagated 
through the instrumentality of animals. See, also. Dr. L. E. 
Berckman's paper before the Agricult. Club of Augusta, Ca., 
1866. I introduce the following slip as a specimen of numerous 
notices concerning the plant. It is from the Laurensville (S. C.) 
Herald : 

" Wild Clover. — A new grass, which is generally called in this 
section by the name of Wild Clover, is springing up luxuriantly 
all over this district, and, we see from our exchanges, all over 
the Southern States. It grows almost everywhere, and seems 
to take hold even on the washed and galled parts of land, as if 
it would redeem both the looks and fertility of the country. 
It appears to be a dwarf clover, is very thick set, and covers 
the earth with a beautiful carpet of green. We have heard 
that a single root sends out as. many as six hundred branches. 
It is much relished by cattle, and is said to be exterminating 
the Bermuda, Joint, Sedge, and all other grasses. We see that 
it is attracting much attention in Middle Georgia." 

A friend in Orangeburg writes: "The plant grows best on a 
rich clay soil, but does well on sandy lands — and even in the 
shade, up to the roots of trees, but is not seen on lands worked 
within a year or two. It sometimes grows to two feet high. 
The St. Matthew's planters (where it abounds) speak of it as a 
15 



226 

blessing, as fodder has been scarce, and it puts out very earl}', 
and cattle and horses are fond of it ; although, like Clover, it 
salivates them at first. I have a lawn with a number of mules 
and cattle feeding on it ; but like rye they do not appear to 
destroy it." 

Mr. Eavenel has published an article on this plant in " The 
Land we Love," 1868, January and February, I have exam- 
ined the roots, which are long and fibrous, and which penetrate 
and flourish even in sandy roads and in yards. The seed should 
be gathered for sale. 

DOLLAE-PLANT, {Rhyncosia tomentosa ?) Diff'used in dry 
pine lands. 

This plant, receiving its name probably from the shape of 
the leaf, is reputed, in the neighborhood of Aiken, S. C, and 
elsewhere, to be a valuable agent in arresting troublesome 
diarrhoea. A tea is given several times a day. Several cases 
have come to my knowledge where it was successfully em- 
ployed — no doubt on account of the tannin contained in it, as 
is evident from the taste. 

TAEE, {Vicia sativa, Linn. Walter.) Grows abundantly 
around Charleston. N. C. Fl. June. 

In England, a decoction of the seeds in water is used as a 
sudorific in small-pox and measles. The seeds are a good food 
for pigeons. Fl. Scotica, 396 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
vi, 892. 

GAEDEN BEAN, (Ficia/a6a.) Cultivated. 

Pisum sativum. Pea. 

Great use is made of the varieties of the pea on our planta- 
tions in South Carolina, as articles of food for men and animals. 
The species called the cow-pea is most in use. I have been 
unable to find any accurate botanical description of this very 
valuable plant. It seems, however, from my examination, to 
be included under the genus Vicia. 

A soup made of the cow-pea, which is a very common dish 
at the South, is much used by nursing women to increase the 
amount of milk, as it is believed to be endowed with some 
special virtues as a galactagogue. It failed completely in a 
case where I had it used most assiduously. See, also, castor 
oil plant. 



227 

David Dickson, one of the most successful planters in (xoorgia, 
in his letters, republished in So. Cultivator for January, 1869, 
says that the chief thing added to the soil by a clover crop, are 
carbon and ammonia. " In the South the cow-pea will answer 
the same end, if sown early, manured with two hundred pounds 
of Peruvian Guano, and turned under from the Ist of July to 
the Ist of August ; then at the same time seeded again with 
peas, using one hundred pounds guano. Peed off with hogs and 
beef cattle, which will generally pay for all expenses, and leave 
the land twenty dollars better. * * All acknowledge the 
importance of turning under green crops. The only thing lost 
by their drying is their ammonia." '' The farmers of the North- 
ern States are improving their lands almost entirely by in- 
creasing their supplies of ammonia, growing hay, clover, oats 
and rye, and keeping stock to eat these crops annually ; not 
gaining, but losing phosphates and gaining nitrogen — making 
the land rich, and the land making the owner rich. Ammonia 
is the foundation of English agriculture. Ammonia from the 
atmosphere, ammonia from Peruvian Guano, ammonia from the 
turnip, hay and clover, etc., returning merely the bone earth to 
the soil, which has been extracted by ammonia, which last is 
constantly increasing in its relative amount." 

Amjyhicarpa monoica. Grows in rich lands. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, ii, 322. The subterranean pod is culti- 
vated as a vegetable. 

GROUNDNUT; PINDAR; PEANUT; GOOBERNUT, 
(Arachis hypogma.) Brought by the negroes from Africa. Fl. 
May. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med.; Supplem. 53, 1846. The 
fruit preserves its germinative powers for forty years. Boudich 
Excurs. 392. Large quantities are exported from Senegal on 
account of the oil which is expressed ft-om them, and which is 
much valued. Ermandel "on the cultivation of the groundnut, 
and its employment as a substitute for coffee," Journal de la 
Litter. Etrang. ix, 169 ; Du Buc, Mem. on the use of A. hypog., 
and an examination of its oil, (in French ;) see Journal de 
Pharm. viii, 231 ; Rivoli, Lettre sur I'Arachis hypogaea, Milan, 
1807 ; Donmen, Notice sur I'Arachis, Montpellier, 1838. Ac- 
cording to the analysis of Pagen and Henry, it is very difficult 
for the oil to become rancid. Journal de Chim. Med. i, 435 ; 



228 

Ann. de Hist. Nat. iv, 206 ; Gurnin, Mem. sur I'Arachis, Bib- 
lioth. Physice Econ. i, 145 ; Tessier, Mem. sur I'Arachis, Avig- 
non. The seeds, parched and ground, can with difficulty be 
distinguished trom coifee, as I have myself experienced. In 
some portions of South Carolina it is employed as a substitute. 
The okra (Hibiscus esmlentus) sei'ves the same purpose. 

In a letter from Mr. W. G. Simms, dated Woodlands, 1863, 
he writes as follows : 

" You speak of the groundnut as a substitute for coffee. But 
as coffee it is a very inferior thing to its use as chocolate. The 
manufacture of chocolate cakes out of the groundnut alone and 
without a particle of cocoa, is an immense and most profitable 
part of jSTorthern manufacture. We make it in my family of a 
quality not inferior to any you buy. To prepare it for the table 
it is beaten in a mortar. At the North, I have been told that 
the hulls are ground up with the nut, and I do not doubt that 
this is an improvement as "qualifying the exceeding richness of 
the nut, which I have usually found too rich prepared as choco- 
late in our way." 

The groundnut and bene make rich and nutritious soup, and 
act as substitutes for meat. They are often parched, and beaten 
up with sugar, and served as a condiment or dessert. The 
groundnut is cultivated to some extent in the Southern States, 
and great, use is made of it on the plantations as an article of 
food, and for various domestic purposes ; it is exported with 
profit, but troublesome to prepare. I am not aware of any use 
being made in the Carolinas of the oil which it affords on ex- 
pression. The authorities cited above will afford much valuable 
information. 

The above was published in my report on Med. Botany of S., 
1849. Since the war it is largely emploj^ed. The superintend- 
ent of the Rockfish Factory in North Carolina, writes that he 
has " used the peanut oil by the side of the sperm, and that 
it works fully as well." 

The N. C. Advertiser publishes the following: "The vine, 
when the pea is removed, makes an excellent forage for cattle, 
said to be equal to the best Northern hay. From the nut is 
expressed a valuable oil. During the war this oil was exten- 
sively used in our machine shops, and its lubricatory properties 
are pronounced by competent authority to be superior to those 



229 

of whale oil, for the reason that it does not gum at all. One 
quality of the oil is extensively employed in the composi- 
tion of medicines ; another is used for burning purposes, and 
possesses the virtue of not smoking, while a third makes a 
really excellent salad condiment. Such, and so varied and 
important, are the uses to which this simple product can be 
devoted — uses which the uninformed, who have, perhaps, re- 
garded it only in the light of an indigestible bulb, would never 
suspect to proceed from its cultivation." 

The oil was expressed by screw pressure by parties near 
Manning, S. C. Mr. Dyson obtained three quarts of oil from 
a bushel of the nuts. 

Dr. Wood states that it is a non-drying oil and will not do 
for painting, but is used for various purposes in the arts, for 
lubricating machinery and in the manufacture of. woollen cloth; 
and would serve, adds Dr. Wood, for burning in lamps, giving 
even a better light than sperm oil. Am. J. Pharm., July, 1860. 
U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

SWEET LOCUST; HONEY LOCUST, {Gleditschia triaf:an- 
thus, L.) Diffused. As far west as Mississippi ; 1 have seen it 
in the lower and upper districts of South Carolina ; N. C. 

Beer is sometimes made by fermenting the sweet pods while 
fresh. The pores of the wood are very open. When perfectly 
seasoned, the wood is extremely hard. It is far inferior to the 
black walnut, or wild cherry for cabinet-making. Hedges of it 
are rendered impenetrable by its long thorns. Michaux, in 
Farmer's Encyc. Mills' Statistics of S. C. 

WILD SENNA, (Cassia Marylandica, Jj.) Grows along the 
banks of rivers ; vicinity of Charleston ; N. C. Fl. July. 

Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 135; Griffith's Med. Bot. 261. It is 
said to be as safe and as certain in its operation as the imported 
senna, but more apt to gripe ; this may be corrected by infusing 
fennel seed or some other aromatic with the leaves. It is pre- 
pared in large quantities by the Shakers, and is generally col- 
lected after the seeds ripen ; one ounce of the leaves is added 
to one pint of hot water, of which the dose is one to three 
ounces, repeated, I have specimens of the leaves of the offi- 
cinal senna, which is cultivated successfully by Mr. W. Lucas, 
of South Carolitia, for use on his plantation. He says that it 
does not appear to degenerate. 



230 

STYPTIC WEED ; FLOEIDA COFFEE, (Cassia occidentalis, 
L. Cassia Caroliniana, Walt.) Common around old buildings ; 
collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston ; N. C. It is be- 
coming a pest to the farmer. Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 130; Marcgrave, in his 
Hist, of Brazil, mentions it as a remedy in the poison of ven- 
omous animals and in strangury. In the Supplem. to Merat, p. 
150, 1846, properties are ascribed to it similar to those of the C. 
hirsuta, which is diuretic, acting on the lymphatic system, and 
employed in obstructions, debility, dropsy caused by derange- 
ment of the digestive organs, and as a vermifuge also ; forty 
grains, parched like coffee, are used. It is useful as an applica- 
tion, in the form of a decoction of the leaves, in itch, erysipela- 
tous eruptions, irritation and inflammation of the rectum. The 
negroes apply the leaves, smeared with grease, as a dressing for 
sores. Griffith, Med. Bot. 262; Bouditch, Exper. 392; Cher- 
noviz. Form. 222. Once thought lo be very valuable as a sub- 
stitute for coffee; roots said to be injurious to hogs. 

GOLDEN CASSIA, (Cassia chamaicrista, L.) Diffused in dry, 
sandy soils ; collected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; 
Newbern. Fl. July. 

Trans. Am. Phil. Soc; Shec. Flora Carol. 390 ; Mer. and de 
L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 129. The leaves are said to be purga- 
tive. It grows in abundance in South Carolina and elsewhere 
and should be examined. It is emploj^ed in poi'tions of the 
country for the recovery of worn-out lands ; those that are 
sandy being particularly benefited by it. See Greenway's ac- 
count of its domestic uses. Op. ant. cit. 

Cassia tora, L. Diffused in cultivated soils ; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. Sept. 

Supplem. to Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 1846,150; 
Ainslie's Mat. Med. Ind. ii, 405. Used in India. 

EEDBUD; JUDAS TEEE, {Cercis canadensis, Ij.) Swamps 
vicinity of Charleston ; collected in St. John's; N. C. Fl. March. 

Shec, Flora Carol. 380. " The wood is of great value for 
mechanical purposes, as it polishes exceedingly well, and is ad- 
mirably veined with black and green." Mills, in his Statistics 
of S. C, states that the blossoms are used as a salad. 

Pithecolobium ungiiis-cati, Benth. Inga U7iquis-cati, Willd. S. 
Fla. Chap. Said to be a good remedy in urinary complaints 



231 

and obstruction of the liver and spleen ; a decoction of the 
bark is very astringent. Macfadyen. 

ci-oTVTOTrrTT7-o T7-TTVT-C1 ] SchninJiia cinqustata, T, and G. 
SENSITIVE VINE, | Schrankia uncinata, Ell. Sk. 

Grows in pine lands ; N. and S. C. Fl. July. 

The leaves of this plant possess a remarkable degree of sen- 
sibility or irritability, closing up immediately upon contact with 
any surface. I have repeated upon this plant, and in a measure 
verified the experiments with chloroform and sulphuric ether 
upon the Mimosa sensitiva, made by Prof. Marcet, of Geneva, in 
illustration of the relations existing between animal and vege- 
table irritability.* After trying a number of substances, in- 
cluding the tinctures of opium, capsicum and camphor, and the 
solutions of tartar emetic, sulp. morphine, and hyd. potash, 
without producing any impi'ession, I ascertained that the two 
anaesthetic agents alone, when placed on the main petiole of 
the leaves, had, in about five minutes, their influence gradually 
extended to those above, causing the leaflets to contract seriatim. 
Though sensibility to impressions was impaired by each suc- 
cessive attempt, yet it was never entirely lost. The result of 
my observations differed from those of Prof. Marcet, but agreed 
with De Candollo in his analogous experiments with nitric and 
sulp. acids, in its not disclosing any impressions transmitted 
downward, or at any rate beyond the junction of the branch 
experimented on with the main limb of the plant. A drop of 
the oil of aniseed placed on a leaf-stalf seemed to have the 
effect of arresting the transit of any influence beyond it; hence, 
we may be led to suspect that the impression is conveyed by 
organs of sensation or of contractility or irritability, arranged 
not far from the surface. In the examination I was assisted by 
Dr. Bene Eavenel. 

In sensitive plants. Mimosa, for example, the movements of 
the leaves, says Mr. C, Mackensie, quoted by Wilson, have their 
origin in certain enlargements situated at the articulation of 
the leaflets with the petiole, and of the petiole with the stem. 
If by a longitudinal section the lower half of this swelling be 
removed, the petiole will remain depressed, having lost the 
power of elevating itself. If the superior half be removed, the 

*Read before the Soc. de Phys. et d'Hist Nat., Oct. 19th, 1840. See, 
also, Sill. Journal, July, 1849. 



232 

petiole will remain constantly elevated, having lost the power 
of depressing itself. These facts prove that the motions of the 
petiole depend on the alternate turgescence of the upper and 
lower half of the enlargement, situated at the point of articula- 
tion, and that contractility is not the principle of these mo- 
tions. The irritation of a burning lens, for example, is felt 
either above or below. This interior movement, M, Dutrochet 
found, was transmitted equally well, even though a ring of bark 
has been removed ; that it is transmissible even though the 
bark and pith be removed, so that nothing remains to commu- 
nicate between the two parts of the skin except the woody 
fibres and vessels; that it is transmissible even when the two 
parts communicate merely by a shred of bark ; and that it may 
be transmitted even when the communication exists by the pith 
only ; but that it is not transmissible when the communication 
exists only by the cortical parench3^ma. From these very in- 
teresting experiments, it results that the interior movement 
produced by irritation is propagated by the ligneous fibres and 
the vessels. The propagation is more rapid in the petioles than 
in the body of the stem, the rapidity having been computed. 
Absence of light during a certain time completely destroys the 
irritability of the plant. The return of the sun's influence 
readily restores the plant to its irritable state. " It appears, 
therefore, that it is by the action of light that the vital proper- 
ties of vegetables are supported as it is by the action of oxygen 
that those of animals are preserved ; consequently, etiolation is 
to the former what asphyxia is to the latter." Eural Cyc. 

M. M. Bert and Blondeau have been experimenting on the 
contractions of the Sensitive Plant, as I see by a paper sent me 
by Prof Gray, of Boston, (1868.) 

M. Blondeau experimented on plants with the induced gal- 
vanic current of a Euhnkorff's coil. He submitted three plants 
to the influence of the electric current. The first was operated 
on for five minutes ; the plant when left to itself seemed pros- 
trated, but after a while (a quarter of an hour) the leaves 
opened and it seemed to recover itself. The second was acted 
on for ten minutes. This specimen was prostrated for an hour, 
after which it slowly recovered. The third specimen was gal- 
vanized for twenty-five minutes, but it never recovered, and in 
twenty-four hours it had the appearance of a plant struck by 



233 

lightning. A fourth plant was etherized, and then exposed to 
the current. Strange to say the latter bad not any effect, the 
leaves remained straight and open ; thus proving, says M. Blon- 
deau, that the mode of contraction of the leaves of the senitive 
plant is in some vfnj allied to the muscular contraction of ani- 
mals. 

CALYCANTHAaE. {The Carolina Allspice Tribe.) 

Flowers aromatic and fragrant. 

SWEET SHEUB. {Calycarithus Floridus, Linn.) Specimens 
from Aiken : I have observed it growing wild in Fairtield Dis- 
trict, S. C. Fl. May. 

One of the most aromatic and sweet scented of our indigenous 
plants; cultivated on tliis account in gardens. Dr. Jno. 
Douglass, of Chester District, S. C, sends me a communication 
rom his correspondent, Mr. McKeown, who says he has fre- 
quently*used it with satisfaction, as an anti-spasmodic tonic, in 
the cure of chronic agues. A strong decoction of the seed or 
bark of the root is given. The wood is strongly camphorated, 
especially the root, and Mr. Nuttall thinks will probably pro- 
duce this drug as abundantly as the Laurus camphora. The 
seeds seldom mature. 

MYKTACB^. {The Myrtle Tribe.) 

Eugenia^ Micheli. Allspice family. 

Several species of this genus are found in South Florida. See 
Chapman's Southern Flora. The oil from the berries should bo 
examined, as they are closely i-elated to the clove bearing trees, 
Caryophilus. The timber of most ^^^^enias is useful and good. 
Like the myrtles, their bark abounds in tannin, their soft parts 
contain a more volatile oil, and the fruit of some, though ren- 
dered somewhat disagreeable by the aroma of the oil, are edible. 
Wilson's Eural Cyc. 

SAXIFRAGACE^. {The Saxifrage Tribe.) 

De Cand. considers the whole order as more or less astrin- 
gent. 

HEUCHERA. 

Heuchera Villosa, Mx. Heuchera caulescens, Pursh. Moun- 
tains of North Carolina and Tennessee. The roots are ex- 



tremoly iiatringont, and wore used as styptics and in apthous 
sore mouth. Rafincsquo Med. Flor. Properties same as those 
of Jl. Americana. 

ALUM-ROOT, (IfeMchera Americana, L.) Grows in damp 
soils; Richland; collected in St. John's; Charleston District; 
found also in (Jeorgia; Newhern. 

Coxo's Am. Disp^ 112 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 163 ; U. S. Disp. 
390 ; Barton's Collec; Mich. Flora Boreal. Americana, i, 171. 
"A powerful astringent." The powder was employed by the 
aborigines in wounds and cancerous ulcers. Bart. M. Bot. ii, 
159 ; Mer and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 490. It is also admin- 
istered as a substitute for Colocynth. It is used in decoction, 
tincture or syrup, wherever an astringent is required — as in 
diarrhoea, piles, menorrhagia, etc., etc. These plants may serve 
the purposes of Rhatany, Kino and Catechu. 

Hydrangea arborescens, L., Hydratu/ea vulgaris, Mx., Hydrangea 
cordata. Ph. Florida to Mississippi and northward. 

Dr. S. W. Butler, of Burlington, New Jersey, introduced this 
plant into notice through the New Jersey Medical Report. He 
states that his father whilst on a mission to the Cherokees, 
learned of them (he merits of this plant in the treatment of 
gravel and stono, and has himself emploved it foi' many years in 
an extensive practice among a people peculiarly subject to those 
complaints. He considers it a most valuable medicine, jiossessed, 
perhaps, of speciric properties. Dr. Parrish, in his Practical 
Pharm. in noticing the above, has modified Dr. B.'s formula for 
its preparation thus: Hydrangea, sixteen ounces; water, six 
pints or sulticient, boil the root in successive portions, mix theni 
and evaporate to half a pint ; mix this with two pints of honey 
and evaporate to two pints. In the summer season push the 
evaporation somewhat further and add a half a pint of l)randy. 
The dose of this tluid extract is a teaspoonful twice or three 
times a day. Dr. P. says he has prepared it for several j'ears 
and has dispensed it under the direction of several practitioners 
to numerous patients, and with general satisfactory results, in 
irritable conditions of the urethra, though its value as a specific 
remedy requires confirmation. Op. cit. 205. 

In the 12th Ed. U. S. Disp. an analysis by Mr. Laidley, of 
Richmond, Ya., is referred to, (Am. J. Pharm. xxiv, 20.) Drs. 



Atlee, Horslcy and Monkun, are also said to have confirmed 
the opinion of its utility "in sabulous or gravelly deposits." N. 
J. Med. Eeport, September, 1854, October, 1854, and March, 
1855. In overdose it occasions vertigo and oppression of the 
chest. U. S. Disp. 

BTJRSEEACEiE. {The Torchwood Tribe.) 

TORCHWOOD, {Amyris Floridana, Nutt.) South Florida. 
Chapman. 

Nearly all the species afford fine materials in both their resin 
and their wood for fragrant incense and delightful pastiles. 
AVilson's Rural Cye. Our species should be examined. A South 
American species yields a gum which makes one of the best of 
known varnishes. Frankincense is said to be got fi'ora the 
Pinus tceda. The Bursera gummifera, Jacq. of Florida, also 
yields a balsam called Chibou resin. 

ANACARDIACE^. {The Cashew Tribe.) 

Trees abounding in a resinous, sometimes acrid, highly 
poisonous juice, are the ordinary representatives of this order. 

POISON OAK, (BMis toxicodendron, T. & Gray ; Rhus radi- 
cans of authors.) Diffused; common in pine lands; vicinity of 
Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Trous. et. Pid. Mat. Med. i, 524; Bell's Pract. Diet. 453; 
Eberle, Mat. Med. ii, 116 ; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 603; Ed. and Vav. 
Mat. Med. 345 ; U. S. Disp. 718 ; Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 241; 
Royle, Mat. Med. 341 ; Bergii, Mat. Med. i, 248; Mer. and de L. 
Diet, de M. Med. vi, 78 ; Orfila, Toxicologic Gen. i, 45 ; Ann. de 
Chim. XXXV, 186 ; An. Journal de Med. Ixxx, 136; Eberle, Mat. 
Med. ii, 117; Ell. Bot. 363; Alibert, Elems. de Therap. i, 452; 
Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 20 ; Du Fresnoi, quoted in Ann. of Med. 
V, 182, and 483 ; Med. and Phys. Journal, i, 308 ; vii, 273; and 
x,486; Duncan's Disp. 294; Bu'l. Plantes Ven. de France, 146. 

It produces in those who come into its vicinity an erysipela- 
tous inflammation. It is stimulant and narcotic, employed in 
paralysis and herpes ; of the former disease, seventeen cases are 
reported by one physician to have been successfully treated with 
it. The juice which exudes on plucking the stem makes a good 
indelible ink. It is dissolved by ether. Bigelow thinks it is 
composed of a resin and an essential oil. Pui*ging with neutral 



2at) 

siilts, (ho iiso t>l' opium, blood-letting utul cold applications of 
ttcetjito of load arc oinployod in caso of poisoiiiiii«; from those 
plants. Tho hruisod loaves of tho Collinsonid c<ind(U'Hfiis (which 
grows in tho Southern States) are also employed for the erup- 
tions caused by tho emanations from the poisonous sumachs, 
and tho W'rbt'iia urtici/olia, growing in tho South, is likewise 
considered an antidote. Dr. A. Livezej', of Ponn., as quotectby 
Dr. Wood, strongh' recommends a saturated tincture of lobelia 
as a local application in this atVection. Ho applies it by means 
of linen cloths, (Boston JMed. and Surg. Journal iv, 2G2.) Dr. 
Proctor uses an alkaline solution applied immediately after ex- 
posure with excellent eftbct, and he tinds that Monsel's solution, 
introduced bj- a jiointed instrument into the vesicle, renders it 
abortive. (Am. J. Pharm. lSli3, JSov.) U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 
Ilorsofield, in his Diss., states that ho administered the infusion 
in consumptive and anasarcous patients. Dn Fresnoi reports 
cases of herpetic eruption cured by preparations of this plant; 
also 'four cases of palsy. Dr. Aldorson, of Hull, has given it 
with good ertect in doses of one-half to one grain, three times a 
day, in pai-alysis. Mer. and do Ij. Drct. do .M. Med. Supplem. 
1840, 627. Dr. Baudelocquo employs it with success in the 
chronic ophthalmia of scrofulous infants, a coUyrium being made 
of tho alcoholic tincture. Four drachms in two ounces of water 
is used, afterward augmenting the dose. Ivov. Mod. Nov. 183G; 
A. Howroarth's Hist. li. Toxicod. in Essai Mod. du Docteur Al- 
dorson, Lond. 1793; Fontana, Traite do la vip«^-e, ii, 169; Ali- 
bort, M. Mod. i, 450. Some have inoculated themselves with it 
without injury. Biblioth. Med. xxvi, 3^5. "On cite un cas 
mortel par suite d'atlouchemeut des parties sexuelles aprcs 
avoir manio des ramoaux do co vegetal:" Mor. loe. cit. See 
Annal. in Journal do Chim. In employing it lor ring-worm Du 
Fresnoi increased the dose of the extract till it amounted to 
eight grains a day. "Novel effects concerning a dangerous 
American plant," by Gloditch, (in French ;) see Journal do 
Physic, 1782; Du Fresnoi, in Actes do la Soc. do Mod. do Brux- 
ollos, i, 136 ; Wursur, sur lo P. Toxicod.; Actes do La Soc. Econ. 
do Florence, iii, 138 ; and observations by AVilhmot on the effects 
of this plant, in Journal de Med. de Courv. i, 209; Employ. R. 
Tox. in Thesis, at Montpellier; Ann. de Clinique, vi, 343. 
Heinning's case of paralysis, cured by R. rad. in Bull, des Sc. 



237 

Med. do Ferus, iv, 262. It in employed in maladies arising from 
general debility, and defective inriervation. A French writer 
testifies to the efficacy of this plant in homoeopathic doses, in all 
cutaneous diseases. Dr. Alderson prefers the infusion of the 
recent leaves ; Van Mons the extract of the dried leaves. By 
analysis, it contains a very combustible " hydrocarbonate," 
tannin, gallic acid, resin, gummy substance, fecula, etc. Grif- 
fith's Med. Bot. 185; and Stephenson and Churchill, iii, 167; 
Bull, des Sc. Med. vi, 98 ; Bull de la Facult. v. 439. An acrimo- 
nious vapor, combined with carburetted hydrogen, exhales from 
a growing plant of the poison oak sumach during the night, can 
be collected in a jar, and is capable of inflaming and blistering 
the skin of persons of excitable constitution who plunge their 
arms into it. The yellow, milky juice turns dark, and forms 
one of the best indelible inks for marking linen, and is used by 
the Japanese as a varnish. Rural Cyc. See varnish sumach, 
(R. vefhix.) 

SMOOTH SUMACH, (Rhus glabra, Linn.) Grows in the 
upper districts; found near Columbia, and Augusta, Ga., in wet 
soils. N. C. Fl. May. 

"If the bark of the root is boiled in equal parts of milk and 
water, forming, witli flour, a cataplasm, it will cure burns with- 
out leaving a scar." The excrescences have been preferred, as 
an astringent, to tannin or gallic acid. Dr. Walters employed 
and substituted them for galls; their sourness is supposed to be 
owing to malic acid, which is contained in the pubescence. 
According to Dr. Cozzens, also, of New York, they are astrin- 
gent and" refrigerant, furnishing with water a cooling drink, 
useful in inflammation and ulceration of the throat. The 
excrescences on the leaves of the R. glabra, which I have 
gathered (1862) on Tiger Creek, Spartanburg District, are as 
large as persimmons — resemble fruit in appearance — are power- 
fully astringent, and contain moving bodies resembling seeds 
attached to the inner walls, surrounded by a white, cottony sub- 
stance, probably . embryo animals. These glandular excres- 
cences are showy. I would recommend them as a perfect sub- 
stitute for tannin. I have dried and powdered them. They 
are a pure astringent. From the experiments of Dr. Stenhouse, 
(U. vS. Disp., 12th Ed.,) it appears that the tannic acid of sumach 
is identical with that of galls ; malic acid and binoxalaleof lime 



238 

coexist in the berries, (W. J. Watson,) and Prof. Eogers sug- 
gests the procuring of malic acid from this source. Dr. Fahne- 
stock states that an infusion of the inner bark of the root is 
employed as a gargle, and is considered almost as a specific in 
the sore throat attending mercurial salivation. An infusion of 
the leaves sweetened with honey is serviceable, applied in the 
same way, and for cleansing the mouth in putrid fevers. The 
bark is considered a febrifuge. Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 166 ; U. 
S. Disp. 598; Am. Journal Med. Sci. 561 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. vi, 77, where its employment as a gargle is alluded 
to; Eev. Medicale, i, 1830, 307; Griffith, Med. Bot. 106. The 
decoction of the root is used by the Indian doctors in the treat- 
ment of gonorrhoea and gleet, and as a wash in ulcers. In 
other words, it is an astringent. The bark of this, the R. copal, 
and the R. typhmum, and of the European species, acts as a 
mordant for red colors, and much use is made of it in the tan- 
ning of morocco leather. A vinegar may be prepared from the 
berries of this species. 

I introduce the replies of several correspondents of the 
Charleston Courier (1862) to inquiries concerning the sumach. 

Dr. Abner Lewis Hammond writes : 

" The Rhus Glabra I consider identical with that so exten- 
sively grown for export and manufacturing purposes in Sicily. 
The difference, as seen in the size of the leaves, tree, etc., is at- 
tributable, no doubt, only to a difference in locality, soil and 
cultivation, and to no other. I have seen it flourishing alike on 
the mountain slopes and in the valleys of Virginia ; on the rich 
table lands and bottoms of Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois; 
on the flinty ridges and barren mineral lands of Missouri. Under 
cultivation it suckers freely. Looking at its value and impor. 
tance as a manufacturing agent or material, and its easy pro- 
duction, I have long wondered at its total neglect, and feel no 
hesitancy in saj'ing that with the same care given to its culti- 
vation by our people as by the Sicilians, it could be as suc- 
cessfully and profitably raised in the one as the other country, 
and should, under existing circumstances, be neglected no 
longer. Hundreds and thousands of bags, at heavy expense, 
are annually imported into the United States for tunning and 
other purpoi^es, yielding to the growers (after expense) a remu- 
nerating profit. The berries, the bark of the tree and roots, 



239 

have for years furniehed the country people here and in the 
West a most substantial dyestuff, (a brilliant black,) while its 
prepared leaves (ground) have been as steadily used (to the 
full extent of the available quantit}') in the preparation of mo- 
rocco." 

A correspondent from South Carolina saj-s : 

" Your article and a subsequent communication lead me to 
believe there is more importance in the sumach than I ever at- 
tached to it. I have gathered bushels of the berry on the 
mountains in this State for the purpose of having the wool dyed 
black for the woof of our home-made jeans. I will try its use 
in shoemakers' wax (as recommended.) There can be any 
quantity gathered in this section. 

"Should any one wish to try dyeing wool, they will find it 
one of the handsomest black dyes known to me." 

Dr. Wm. Jeuson, of Charleston, writes : 

" Sumach — Rhus Glabra — figured also as Rhus Yirginicum, 
better known as smooth sumach, and variously called Pennsyl- 
vania sumach, upland sumach, is a native of most parts of the 
continent of North America. Grows in dry, uncultivated places 
flowering early in July, and succeeded b}' dense clusters of 
crimson berries, which, when mature, (about early autumn,) are 
covered with a whitish and very acid efflorescence (often used 
to make vinegar in country localities.) The bark and leaves are 
astringent, and said to be used in tanning leather and in dyeing. 
Excrescencies are produced under the leaves resembling galls in 
character. These have been used by Dr. Walters, of New York, 
who thought them in every respect preferable to imported 
galls. The only officinal part is the berries, which are used as 
a refrigerant and febrifuge, though Dr. Fahnestock speaks 
highly of an infusion made from the inner rind or bark of the 
root, for a wash and gargle in the sore mouth attending inor- 
dinate mercurial salivation. The writer's own experience has 
been to use the berries in impure water, or when that was not 
to be obtained, to put them into the mouth to allay the thirst 
attendant upon riding through the hot, unsheltered and fre- 
quently waterless prairies of the far West. He also knows that 
a syrup made with the berries is successfully used in the fall 
fluxes, while a drink made with them is a favorite remedy in 
many localities in febrile attacks. In the sickly year of 1853 



240 I 

the Avritor used thoiu (the borrios") eonstiuitly, although tiv- 
qiiontly chauixing his atmOv^phoro iVom the iVoo, open prairio 
to tho I'onliuod postiKnuial air of a eity with yellow tVvor 
ravaging it, ami without oxperionoing tho slightest indispo- 
sition." 

James reokliain. of Columbia, South (.\u-oUna. ailds : 

"1 have often wondered that no one here luis engageii in its 
eultivation, or rather in gathering and preparing it for market, 
as it gi-ows all over the eountrv." 

The following was eommunieated bj^ Mr. C\ II. Woodin. of 
Charleston: 

"1 notieo in the Courier an impiiry in reganl to the use of 
the sumach, which grows so abundantly in the lower portions 
of our State. Your correspondent informs us that it is very 
beneticial in making shoewax, consequently it was called shoe- 
mach. But the sumach is not only used for making wax, but it 
is extensivel)* used in the New England and Northern States 
for tanning purposes. 

"The sumach leaf is invaluable in tanning tine hog skins ami 
skirting, and it is shipped in great quantities from South 
America to all the principal tanneries in the North. 

>'The process is this: It is well known to every tanner that 
the most important thing in making good leather is to have it 
pivperly colored, and that it is not crisped or parched on the 
grain in the ' handlers.' " 

The shoemae leaf is put into a vat which is intended tor a 
" handler," and then the vat is tilled with clean, fresh water, 
and when it has stood UTitil the strength is entirely out of the 
leaf, the skin or stock is taken from tho"fttnY,'' rinsed in the 
"pool," and then placed in the -handler." The stock is then 
turned or handled as in other processes, until the grain is 
properly colored. It is then taken through the regular pro- 
cess of tanning, and when it is scoured it is perfectly white. 
The stock should be tanned with white oak, or some other kind 
of mild bark. "The advantage of the sumach is this: That 
the stock comes out fair and good, while in other processes the 
grain has to be made white by acids, which injures the stock 
very much. Tanners intending to make fair leather would do 
well to make a note ot' this information." 

See " Sweet Gum " (^Zi"(/M/(/(;//i')(;r) for my examination ot' this, 
the sumach and other /t*art>\ as substitutes for oak bark. 



24] 

Sumach hcrrian in layerw with wool and boiled will dyo 
hiaek 'wUhout coppc/rdH. Vifiegar and ruwty iron will often fix 
colorH without the aid of copperaH. Sumac herrieK ground up 
are used for flavoring tobacco. The powdered leaves are Home- 
times mixed with tobacco to dimininh the strength. The writer 
liaH often uHcd them in tliiw way. In Danville, Va., the peach 
leaf Ih often em[>loyed aluo to flavor tobacco. 

POISON SUMACIL; SWAMP SUMACH; POISOX EL- 
DIOR, (Rhus vernix, L., Ell. Sk., Rhus venenata, D, C.) Grows 
in the upper districts and in Greorgia; collected in St. John's; 
vicinity oi' Charleston. Fl. June. 

Mer. and de L, Dict.de M. Med. vi, 82 ; Lindley, Phil. 'J'ran«. 
vi, Abndg. 507; Sherard, do. 508; Kalm's Travels, i, 77 ; Mar- 
shall's w\bstract, l'>0 ; Cutler, Am. Acad. 427; liig. Am. Med. 
Hot. i, 80; Hart. Coll. 24; Thatcher's Disp. 321; see Big. E. 
vernix; Nouv. Journal de Med. xv, 43 ; U. S. Disp. 718. This 
also gijies out a poisonous exhalation ; some are even affected 
by the atmosphere around it. It is thought to be identical with 
one in Japan, which furnishes a fine varnish much used in that 
country. l)v. liigelow ascertained that the juice, which flows in 
large quantities from our tree when wounded in the spring, 
affords a brilliant, glossy, black varnish. Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. Supplem. 1840, 028. See Thunberg's Voyage, vi, 15, 
for a notice of the oil extracted from the seeds. Lind. Nat. 
Syst. 168; Jjinn. Veg. M. Med. 50. It is styptic and astringent 
and the resin is used as an ointment in piles. Higelow, in his 
examination of the juice referred to above, believes that it 
consists of a resin and an essential oil. He first boiled it till 
the volatile oil had escaped ; the remainder being reduced 
almost to the state of a resin, was applied warm as a varnish. 
J>r. Pierson reports an interesting case of poisoning from this 
plant; and it is said that some individuals have been injuriously 
affected by the fumes from the wood of this and the Ehus radi- 
cans, accidentally burnt on the fire. A swarm of bees was 
poisoned by alighting on one of these trees. New York 
Medical Kepos. 

WINC-RIH MOUNTAIN SUMACH; COMMON SUMACH, 
( Rhus eopfiUi.na, Linn. Walt.) Diffused. Vicinity of Charleston ; 
Florida and Mississippi and northward ; collected in St. John's; 
Newbern. Fl.July. 
10 



242 

Ell. Bot. 302 ; Ed. and Yav. Mat. Med. 136. A wash is ap- 
plied to ring-worms. The root is used by the Chippeway In- 
dians as an anti-venereal. The excrescences on the leaves are 
powdered and made into an ointment as an application to 
hemorrhoids. Griffith, Med. Bot. It does not atford copal. 
The leaves were mixed with tobacco and used by the Indians 
for smoking. The sumach is said to form an ingredient in the 
manufacture of " Killickinick " tobacco ; since the war the 
leaves dried have been much used by soldiers in camp to render 
tobacco milder and increase its bulk. The berries are quite 
sour, and afford, with water, a cooling drink. 

Wilson asserts in the Eural Cyc. that the R. copallina does 
contain copal. " The resin from this shrub exists in smooth 
brittle, translucent, roundish, small masses; has litttle ta»te and 
scarcely any odor; is fusible by heat, inflammable by ignition 
insoluble in water, very sparingly soluble in alcohol, and fully 
soluble in sulphuric ether and some essential oils. It is the 
characteristic ingredient of the well known copal varnish, an 
article requiring operose and careful manufacture, but dis- 
tinguished for the brilliancy, durability, hardness and resistance 
of its exquisite polish." Consult '■^ Liquidambar" for detail of 
experiments. By my experiments the leaves of the Rhus contain 
more tannin than either the sweet gum, myrtle, or any of the 
fifteen or twenty that I examined by reagents. I am also con- 
vinced that the excrescences abundant on the Rhus glabra (or 
smooth sumach) would furnish an excellent material for the 
supply o? tannin. Upon drying and examining them, I find the 
tannin in a highly concentrated state. They would be suitably 
used wherever an astringent is required in medicine, and should 
be added with the leaves to the tan-vat. See article " Quercus 
tinctoria" in this volume, for trees furnishing tannin and gallic 
acid. 

DWARF SUMACH, (Rhus pumila, Mich. Ph.) Upper dis- 
tricts ; Newbern, Fl. August. 

U. S. Disp. 719 ; Mx. Flora Americana. According to Pursh, 
it is the most poisonous of the species. 

STAGHOEN SUMACH, (Rhus typhiana, Walt. Flora Carol.) 
S. and North Carolina. Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 82; see Analysis, in 
Journal de Chim. Med. iv, 511. Lassaigne says that this con- 



243 

tains malic acid. The incised bark yields resin. It is employed 
in preparing morocco leather. See R. vernix, etc. 

Rhus metopiiim, L. A tree fifteen to twenty feet high. South 
Fla. Chap. 

This, which is also a West India species, furnishes a gum 
known as "Doctor's gum," which, in large doses is emeto-ca- 
thartic, and is said in smaller ones to be a useful remedy in dis- 
orders of the bowels and respiratory organs. A spoonful of the 
fresh juice is mixed with two ounces of boiling water; the dose 
is a teaspoonful given occasionally, (Jam. Phj's. Jour.) Des- 
courtilz, (Fl. Med. Antill., ii., 49,) states that the bark is an 
excellent astringent. Griffith. 

The Rhus aromatica grows in West Florida and Mississippi 
and northward, is aromatic but not poisonous and should be 
examined. Our R. cotinoides, Nutt., which Buckley found in 
the interior of Alabama, may approximate in qualities to the 
R. coifnus of Europe " which furnishes most of the sumach of 
commerce," and the wood of which is the basis of a bright 
yellow dye, 

Rhvs coriaria. This species of sumach is [exotic, and is the 
principal plant cultivated in Sicily for export. I insert the 
following, in case it shall be found expedient to "exploit" or 
plant for tannin our wild sumachs which arc found so abund- 
antly in rank meadows throughout the South ; particularly 
abundant, I have observed, in the Dismal Swamp, Va. I think 
it is sufficiently abundant there to supply almost any amount 
for the purposes of the tanner or dyer. 

" In the best sumach one hundred grains of the leaf should 
give thirty to thirt3'-five grains of pure tannin. The proper 
adaptation of the land can be ascertained by testing the leaves 
with sulphuric ether. ' Use as much sulphuric ether as will 
dissolve the sumach, or pass it through the sumach till it runs 
clear, then draw off the ether by heat, and the deposit will be 
pure tannin.' A rough test for tannin is prepared with a solu- 
tion of sulphate of iron, or may depend upon its coagulation of 
albumen. 

"The sumach is thus cultivated near Palermo: The soil is 
prepared as for potatoes, with furrows from two to two and a 
half feet apart, in which in January or February are placed 
the young suckers two and a half feet apart. In August of the 



244 

first year the leaves on the lower part of the branches are 
drawn off with the thumb and finger, leaving a tuft on the top. 
In October the whole head is taken off, or sometimes broken, 
and left hanging by the bark till dry. The second year, in 
June, the branches are stripped of I'ipe leaves ; and in August, 
as soon as the whole plant is mature, it is cut with a sickle 
down to six inches. It is then spread out and dried thoroughly 
on each side till entirely cured. The June gathering is omitted 
in many cases when the plants are not strong. After being 
dried the branches are put upon a floor and threshed, when the 
leaves will separate from the wood, which is of no value except 
for fuel. The leaves are then ground between two millstones, 
one of which is on edge, and revolving around a centre. We 
visited a mill driven by steam-power, which threw out the pow- 
dered sumach in large quantities. The air was filled with fine 
particles of dust, which covered our clothing and entered the 
lungs. It is not injurious, however, for although it seemed 
suffocating, the workmen will sleep three or four hours success- 
ively in it ; and are always remarkably healthy. They were 
particularly exempt from cholera. The leaves are readily re- 
duced to powder while the stems are not. These last are then 
separated by sifting, and the pure sumach is placed in bags of 
one hundred and sixt^'-three pounds for shipment. Two thou- 
sand pounds of ground sumach to an acre is considered a good 
crop." 

This corroborates my own suggestion regarding the employ- 
ment of leaves for the supply of tannin. See article Tannin 
and Sweet Gum, {Liguidambar,') for my comparative experiments 
upon the leaves of gum, myrtle, etc., for tannin. Both these 
trees grow abundantly everywhere, and will easily supply a 
large amount of tannin, to bo used as I suggest — in place of 
oak bark. 

Most of the plants containing tannin will furnish a black dye, 
with iron. " The basis of black dyes for all organic fibres is the 
tannogallate of iron ; but the modes of application vary with 
the nature of the fabric, whether silk, wool, or cotton. The 
finest blacks are obtained by a combination of colors ; thus, a 
rich black is imparted to wool by grounding it with a deep, 
indigo blue, then passing it through logwood, galls, or sumach, 
and finally through a bath of these, with copperas and verdi- 



245 

gris, or immediately through the latter." "Wilson's Eural Cyc. 
See, also, [Jre's Diet, of Arts, article " Calico Dyeing." Any of 
our plants containing either tannin or coloring principles can 
be used as dyes, with alum or iron ; vinegar also adds to the 
intensity of the color. 

There is a paper by John M. Marston, on the cultivation of 
the sumach in Sicily, in Patent Office Reports, 1851, p. 60. I 
believe that the great abundance of sumach in Virginia, would 
supply for a long time all we would require — besides, it grows 
abundantly in our savannas, and among myrtles throughout 
the country. Mr. Marston thinks that the superiority of the 
Sicilian sumach lies in the mode of cultivating it — "all the 
leaves are the production of the young sprouts that spring up 
from the stump every year." The middle Southern States he 
thinks adapted to its growth. "The export of sumach to the 
United States last year was 65,000 bags." 

I quote as follows from the letter : 

" Sumach is an article of commerce to the Sicilians of great 
importance, as it is also with the Americans. And, it is my 
opinion that this article, so valuable for manufacturing pur- 
poses, for tanning, etc., can be produced in the United States in 
sufficient quantity to supply the world, if the mode of its cul- 
ture be understood, and proper attention be paid to it. 

"I have no idea that it is the same kind that grows in the 
United States, which there runs to the size of trees. In Sicily 
they plant the roots or small plants from two to three feet 
apart ; rows about four, so that the plow or harrow can save 
the hand labor of the hoe. They hoe it two or three times 
before the rains finish in May, and gather it in July and August. 
The leaves are the only parts made use of. After being sepa- 
rated from the twigs by threshing, (or, in this country, both 
ways — by threshing and treading off with oxen and horses,) 
the leaves are then ground to the state of fineness in which 
you see it in the United States, being passed through sieves or 
bolting-cloths of sufficient fineness, and put into bags of one 
hundred and sixty pounds each. The proper season for plant- 
ing the roots or plants is in November, December and January. 
When the season is rainy, the plants take root better. The 
root or stump is cut off from four to six inches above ground. 
The scions or sprouts spring up four to six out of each root; 



246 

and when at maturity, which in this island is in July or August, 
they are all cut off at the stumps, and laid in small handfuls to 
dry, say for a day or two. Do not spread them out much, as 
the sun will turn the leaves yellow, and great care must be 
taken that no rain falls on them. Perhaps, in this country, it 
may answer to plant nearer together than would be advisable 
in America, on account of the greater heat of the sun here, and 
thus shade the ground better. The leaves are ground in mills 
mostly by horse-power; but water or steam-power would be 
much cheaper and better. The perpendicular running stones 
weigh nearly three thousand pounds; they run double or single 
round an upi'ight shaft. The nether or foundation stone is 
heavier, and one-third greater in diameter than the running 
stones. The grinding surface of these latter is slightly rough, 
being occasionally touched with the pick or cold-chisel. Hard 
granite stones answer; here they use a volcanic stone, which is 
as hard as marble. There follows round the running stones a 
little piece of wood that keeps the leaves always under the 
stones. When ground fine enough, it is sifted or bolted in a 
large, tight room, with a door to enter and fill the bags. In 
Sicily the article is more or less adulterated with spurious stuff, 
such as other kinds of leaves, and an article called bucca, which 
resembles the juniper bush of New England ; this has no value 
in itself I believe the first year they do not cut off the sprouts. 
In the second and following years, a curious freak of nature 
produces a single plant a foot or so distant from the original 
root ; and this little plant it is which they usually make use of 
to transplant. Now, the plow or harrow would prevent these 
from growing, as they would be in the track, and this ma}^ be 
the reason why they hoe it. Still, I think the j)low or harrow 
must be used in our country, and some way or other contrived 
to save these little plants if wanted." 

The above was printed in the first edition of this volume. 

It will be observed that I had called attention to the exploita- 
tion of the sumach, as above, in the first edition of this work, 
printed in 1863, and also to the great abundance of the plants. 
I hope that my suggestions have been productive of good. It 
is now become an extensive business throughout the State of 
Yirginia, giving employment to many persons, and in time I 
hope that a large number of our population may derive profita- 



247 

ble employment from the same, and by cultivating or collecting 
medicinal plants, when depots for their purchase in small quan- 
tities shall be established in the large cities. 

Dr. H. Baer, of Charleston, in a communication made to me 
requesting a series of popular articles upon these subjects, 1868, 
states : " I see that Virginia exports a large amount of sumach, 
and by some of my last circulars from Liverpool, I see it quoted 
at 8s. per cwt." The analysis was as follows: 

Vege table matter 83. 10 

Tannin 15.50 

Sand 1.40 

The following letter, which I find in the Norfolk Journal, 
will, no doubt, interest all dealers in sumach. It is fi*om Alex. 
S. Macrae, merchant of Liverpool, and is dated Sept., 1868: 

"1 have to-day received a sample of Philadelphia brand 
American sumach — a very superior quality. Our first chemical 
analysis make it : 

Tannin 20.80 

Sand 0.75 

Vegetable fibre 78.45 



100.00 

" The best sumachs in this market average 16 a 20 per cent. 

of tannin, and sell at £13 a £24 per ton. I, therefore, make the 

value of the Philadelphia £16 per ton, at which price there 

should be a handsome remuneration. 

" If, as you say, sumach leaves are to be had in Virginia for 
the gathering, what a trade has been neglected, which at once 
may be developed." 

I see it stated that Fredericksburg has received one thousand 
tons this season ; and a merchant of Fauquier County paid out 
last year $5,000 for sumach, a commodity which any person 
seems licensed to gather free of charge by merely requesting 
the privilege from landowners. 

The Norfolk Virginian, (1868,) says of the "sumach trade:" 
" This new item of interest to our industrial classes is now 
attracting much attention in this State, throughout the entire 
length and breadth of which it flourishes in profusion in a wild 
state. The material is used largely for the essential principle of 
tannin, which it contains, and factories for its extraction have 



248 

been established in this State and elsewhere. Our attention has 
been particularly called to the establishment of Messrs. Chisinan 
and Crocker, in Hampton, who have gone into the business on a 
large scale, and from whose circular we make the following 
extracts, for the guidance of those who may wish to engage in 
its collection : ' Sumach must be of a good color, free from stems, 
dirt and berries.' * * * * 'It should be gathered from Ist 
July until frost, after which it will turn red, and then it will 
be worthless. It should be cured as much as possible under 
shelter, or in the shade, to preserve its color and strength — 
carefully threshed (and not cut) on a plank floor, or sheet, to 
keep it free from dirt and sand. The sticks, stems and berries 
should be carefully raked and picked out before sending to 
market." 

They also give the following direction for gathering and cur- 
ing the product : 

" Gather as you would fodder of this year's growth, except 
the blossoms and berries; dry it under shelter ; stir it as you 
would hay; be careful it does not heat; do not dry it in the 
sun — both will soil it; when dry put it in bulk. AYhen dry, 
windy days set in, then lay it in beds as you would wheat or 
oats, thresh it with a flail, when the leaves and stems will break 
up fine; take out the large stems and throw them away; all 
the fine is called threshed sumach. Be careful not to have an}'- 
sand on the floor before threshing. There is no weight in the 
large stems, being mostly pith and no strength; to bring them 
to market will only reduce the price of your sumach, and when 
you gather the large stems you have to wait that much longer 
for your sumach to cure. The strength of the sumach is in the 
leaf and leaf stem. 

" With these instructions a large class of the population in 
the surrounding country can spend their leisure time in light 
but very remunerative employment, at no cost beyond the labor 
of gathering." 

VITACE.E, (Vine Tribe.) 

Vitis bipinnata, T. and G. {Ampelopsis, Mx.) Margins of 
swamps, Florida and northward ; abundant, bearing black ber- 
ries in bunches. 

Attracted by the sweetish taste and the purplish black hue 



24'J 

of the berries of this plant, which is closely related to the 
grape, I succeeded (1862) in extracting a beautiful dark purple 
by the following process : The berries were mashed in a mortar, 
vinegar was added, with a small quantity of powdered alum. 
The mixture was then boiled, and the yarn, or other material^ 
previously wrung out of water, put in while hot. The color of 
articles dyed is said to be fixed more firmly by subsequently 
dipping them when thoroughly dried in boiling salt and water. 

Vitis, Grape. Dr. Fair, of Columbia, S. C, informs me that 
the root of the winter grape (F. cordifolia) is powerfully diur- 
etic. He had used it in several cases. See Pereira's Mat. Med. 
and Griifith's Med. Bot. for much information concerning the 
grape, wine, etc. 

My friend, the late Major John Leeonte, in a paper on the 
" American Grape Vines of the Atlantic States," expresses the 
opinion^, that a grape adapted to the production of wine in the 
Southern States would be ill adapted to the Northern States, 
which are colder, and less humid, and dry. "Thus, the Scup- 
pernong grape can never perfectly ripen north of Virginia, and 
the fox grapes of the North will scarcely grow in the lower 
parts of Carolina and Georgia ; the Isabella, or Catawba varie- 
ties of this last, which were originally brought from the upper 
regions of South Carolina, do not flourish in the low country, 
and will scarcely live in lower Georgia." To remedy the want 
of the sweet principle in a grape, nothing more is necessary 
than to boil down the must, before fermentation, until it is con- 
siderably reduced. 

Major Leeonte considers it quite possible to make wine that 
will keep without alcohol ; also, that our American grapes do 
not require the pruning adopted in Europe. See, also. Patent 
Ofiice Eeports, 228, 1857, for a critical account of the species of 
grape growing in the Atlantic States, and Chapman's Flora of 
the Southern United States, under genus "Vitis," for grapes 
exclusively Southern. " Bland's Grape," V. palmata, so highly 
praised by Major Leeonte, as being equal to any variety of the 
European grape, which he says grows in the mountains of 
North Carolina, is not included by Chapman as a native. It is 
the V. Virgiyiiana of Poiret. Dr. A. P. Wylie, of Chester, S, 
C, has been for several years engaged very successfully in the 
cross-breeding of the diff'erent species of grape. The varieties 



250 

he has obtained by hybridizing possess as high flavor as the 
best foreign grapes, (1868.) 

A writer recommends the use of natural caves as wine cellars. 
Drs. Gall and Petiol's " method of wine making, according to 
the modern principles adopted in Germany and France," is 
published in Patent OflSce Eeports, 1859, p. 95. The same 
volume also describes the construction of cellars and vats, etc. 
Governor Hammond, of S. C, has had a large cellar built for 
wines, sugar cane juice, etc. These seem to me essential. 

A correspondent says that foreign grapes must be laid in 
straw during the winter. 

H. W. Eavenel, also of Aiken, S. C, who has been investi- 
gating the native grape with his known ability as a botanist, in 
a paper published in Patent Office Reports, 1857, and in his 
essay on the "Glii'ssification and nomenclature of Fruits," before 
the S. C. Agricult. Soc, gives an enumeration of our four 
American species of grapes so far studied, growing west of the 
Mississippi. Under these, viz : V. labrusca, L., fox grape, V. 
cestivalis, Mx., summer grape, V. cordifolia, Mx., winter or frost 
grape, V. Vuljnna, L., bull grape, or BuUace, he classes the 
varieties which have proceeded from them, and to which all the 
others can be reduced;. this also is the opinion of the best botan- 
ists of the day. Dr. Chapman has added another, the V. cari- 
haca, of D. C.; confined to lower F'la. The V. rupestris of Scheele 
is found in Texas. 

Mr. Ravenel makes a statement which is instructive: "All 
the species of American grapes are dicecia polygamous ; that is, 
some of the vines bear staminate or barren flowers only, and 
are forever sterile; others bear perfect flowers, and are fruitful. 
All the species of the Eastern hemisphere are hermaphrodite ; 
that is, every vine bears perfect flowers, containing stamens and 
pistils in the same corolla, and are fruitful. In the absence of 
other evidence, this fact would be conclusive of the parentage 
of an unknown seedling, whether it be of exotic or indigenous 
origin." The varieties of foreign grapes are referred to a single 
species, V. vinifera, L. 

Professor C. T. Jackson, in a communication in Patent Office 
Eeports, p. 42, 1859, remarks, in reference to the preservative 
power of sugar in making wine, as follows : 

" We must find out the proportion of saccharine or alcohol- 



251 

producing matter in the American grapes, for if they will not 
produce alcohol in sufficient proportions to keep the wine from 
souring, we should have to add saccharine matter in some form 
to make a sound wine." In many portions of the country, it is 
found necessary to add sugar to wine. Jackson says that those 
grapes "which contain less than 15 per cent, of saccharine 
matter will require sugar or alcoholic spirit to be added to 
them, in oi'der to make a wine that will keep." See, also, notice 
of Prof W"m. Hume's paper, further on, and Patent Office Ee- 
ports, 1859, p. 59, for proportions of acids and sugar in Ameri- 
can grapes, cultivation, preparing wine, gathering grapes, ap- 
paratus, and making of wine in detail, p. 55, et seq. 

See a paper with full description and mode of cultivation of 
wine, with manufacture of wine near Cincinnati, in Patent Office 
Eeports, 1848, pp. 6-14. The value and amount of yield per 
acre is also given in this paper. I will extract a portion of it : 

Selecting and preparing the ground. — A hill-side with a southern 
aspect is preferred. If the declivity is gentle, it can be drained 
by sodded, concave avenues; but if too steep for that, it must 
be benched or terraced, which is more expensive. In the 
autumn or winter, dig or trench the ground with the spade all 
over two feet deep, turning the surface under. The ground 
will be mellowed by the frosts of winter. 

Planting. — Lay off the ground in rows three by six feet ; put 
down a stick, twelve or fifteen inches long, where each vine is 
to grow. The avenues should be ten feet wide, dividing the 
vinej^ard into squares of one hundred and twenty feet. Plant 
at each stick two cuttings, separated six or eight inches at the 
bottom of the hole, but joined at the top. Throw a spadeful of 
rich, vegetable mould into each hole, and let the top ej-e of the 
cutting be even with the surface of the ground, and if the mat- 
ter is dry, cover with half an inch of light earth. The cuttings 
should be prepared for planting by burying them in the earth 
immediately after pruned from the vines in the spring. By the 
latter end of March, or early in April, which is the right time 
for planting, the buds will be swelled so as to make them strike 
root with great certainty. Cut off close to the joint at the 
lower bud, and about an inch in all above the upper. 

Pruning. — The first year after planting cut the vine down to 
a single eye, (some leave two,) the second leave two or three, 



252 

and the third three or four. After the first year, a stake, six 
and a half or seven feet long, must be driven firmly down by 
each plant, to which the vines must be kept neatly tied with 
willow or straw as they grow. Late in February, or early in 
March, is the right time for spring pruning in this climate. 
Summer pruning consists in breaking off the lateral sprouts 
and shoots so as to leave two strong and thrifty canes or vines — 
one of which is to bear fruit the ensuing season, the other to be 
cut down in spring pruning to a spur to produce new shoots. 
These may be let run to the top of the stakes, and trained from 
one to the other, until the wood is matured, say in August or 
September, when the green ends may be broken off. One of 
these vines is selected next spring for bearing fruit, and cut 
down from four to six joints, and bent over and fastened to the 
stake in the form of a bow. The other is cut away, as well as 
the fruit-bearing wood of the last 3'ear, leaving spurs to throw 
out new wood for the next, and thus keeping the vine down to 
within one and a half to two feet of the ground. Nip off the 
ends of the fruit-bearing branches two or three joints beyond 
the branches of grapes, but do not take off any leaves. If both 
the cuttings grow, take one up, or cut it off under ground, as 
but one vine should be left to each stake. 

Culture. — The vineyard must be kept perfectly clean from 
weeds and grass, and hoed under two or three times during the 
season. Keep the grass in the avenues around down close. 
About every third year put in manure by a trench the width of 
a spade, and three or four inches deep, just above and near each 
row ; fill in with two or three inches of manure, and cover it 
up with earth. 

Wine making. — Gather the grapes vvhen very ripe ; pick off 
the unsound and unripe berries. The bunches are tl)en washed 
in a washing tub, or passed through a small mill, breaking the 
skin, but not the seed, and thrown into the press, and the screw 
applied until the skins and seeds are pressed dry. 

Fermentation. — This process is very simple. The juice is put 
into clean casks in a cool cellar, and the casks filled within 
about four or five inches of the bung, and the bung put on 
loosely. The gas escapes, but the wine does not run over. In 
two to four weeks, generally, the fermentation ceases and the 
wine clears; then fill up the casks and tighten the bungs. In 



253 

February or March rack off into clean casks. In the spring a 
moderate fermentation will again take place; after that the 
wine fines itself and is ready for bottling or barrelling. Use no 
brandy or sugar if the grapes are sound and well ripened. Keep 
bunged or corked tight, and in a cool cellar, and the wine will 
improve by age for many years. A paper on " North Carolina 
Grapes," p. 48, may be consulted in Patent Office Report on 
Agriculture, 1851. It gives an account of wine made from the 
wild fox grape, and others, and discusses some of the native 
varieties. Johnston's Chemistry of Common Life, vol. 2, Chap- 
tal's Chemistry, in its relations with Agriculture, chapter on 
"Fermentation," Uro's Dictionary of Arts, article, AVine, "Fer- 
mentation," etc., may be consulted for information as to the pro- 
cesses of wine making. See DeBow's Review and DeBow's 
"Industrial Eesources of the South and West," in three volumes, 
for articles on cultivation of grape aud wine making at the 
South ; also. Patent Office Reports, 1859, p. 72, for a very full 
and detailed account of cultivation of grape, manufacture of 
wine, construction of vats and cellars, by Dr. Weber, of Wash- 
ington. I regret that I cannot condense this article. 

In Missouri and Ohio it is found that the Catawba grape, a 
native of the Atlantic seacoast, is liable to rot, and to be al-. 
fected by mildew. A writer in Patent Office Reports, 1854, p. 
453, recommends several hardier varieties, viz: The Halifax, 
(wine mild and spicy,) Worton's Virginia seedling^ (wine fiei-y and 
aromatic,) the Rockhouse Indian, which is said to produce a wine 
not inferior to the best Burgundy. The writer gives some di- 
rections about the culture, and adds: "In the place of putting 
the 'bung loosely' on your casks during fermentation, put on 
the bung-hole first a grape leaf, and upon that a small bag filled 
with fine and not quite dry sand. In good cellars and large 
casks your wine will, and must not clear in less than six or 
eight weeks. Rack off in March, then again in midsummer, 
and again just before the time of the next harvest. Before 
every racking, have your cask well sulphurated. Then j'our 
juice is real wine and may be bottled; it will keep as long as 
you please and improve considerably for a series of years." I 
introduce the above, as it peems to contain some practical di- 
rections. 

The " rot " in grapes is caused by an excess of moistui-e about 



254 

tho roots, and moist and damp weather. Vineyai'ds located 
upon " stiff, cold, clayey sub-soils, which unavoidably retain the 
excess of moisture and produce injurious effects, can be ob- 
viated by thorough draining, or by selecting soil which is warmer, 
lighter and richer in the ingredient most favorable. to the vine." 

The " mildew" is often a most serious cause of disease in 
grapes, extending over entire sections of country, as almost to 
discourage the cultivation. It is considered to be a parasitic 
fungus. See a paper on this subject in Patent Office Reports, 
1854, p. 311, by J. F. Allen, of Massachusetts. In the New 
England States the presence or absence of this fungus depends 
upon the condition of the weather, and the progress in maturity 
of the vine in August and July. There the fungus appears during 
foggy weather, resembling a white mould. In Reports for 1853, 
p. 311, an engraved illustration is given of this mildew fungus. 
" When a grape becomes affected by it, the fruit will either dry 
or crack open, unless checked or destroyed before it makes 
much progress. The so-called disease is a living plant, most 
rapid in its growth and wonderful in its powers of reproduction 
and multiplication. When a vine has once been infected by it, 
the seeds or sporules in countless millions lie waiting a favorable 
atmospheric change to spring into life ; and when this does 
occur, so rapid is their growth that in one day the under side of 
the leaf will be almost covered." The plan of dusting the 
leaves with sulphur is impracticable. The writer says he has 
found a wash quite effectual in destroying this fungus, and it 
can bo applied on a large scale with the garden engine ; on a 
smaller, by tbe syringe or the nose of a watering-pot. 

" To prepare this wash, take one peck of lime, not slacked, 
and one pound of sulphur; put them together in a barrel, and 
pour hot water over them sufficient to slake the lime; pour on 
this three gallons of soft water, and stir the mix lure well to- 
gether. In twenty -four hours it will have settled and become 
perfectly clear. This should be drawn off as clear as possible. 
Half a pint of this mixture added to three gallons of water will 
be sufficiently strong, and may be applied over the fruit when 
mildew first appears. It can be repeated every few days, if 
occasion requires. The first application I have found would 
kill the most of it; a second and third are all that I have ever 
found necessary for the season. The fruit and foliage have 



255 

ripened fully on the European varieties. The American or na- 
tive varieties are less subject to the attacks of this fungus than 
the European. There is also a difference in these, the Catawba 
and Isabella being more attacked than some other kinds. That 
this mildew or fungus requires a peculiar condition of the at- 
mosphere to allow of its vegetating is a hopeful fact for the 
people of the European grape growing regions. A series of 
seasons unpropitious to its gi-owth, may destroy millions of 
sporules or seed vessels deposited upon their vineyards." 

I have seen grapes attacked with a disease, an apparent black- 
ening or rot of the internal portion of the fruit, which had 
never been attacked until the arbor was covered over, and thus 
the requisite amount of light was diminished. In this case, 
they become diseased from too much shade and moisture, and 
the remedy is plain ; but in some cases this occurs under a full 
supply of light. The IT. S. Commission to the Paris Exposition, 
in thoir report published in P. O. Rep. for 1867, state that the 
application of sulphur to the leaves is the best remedy for 
diseases affecting the vine. 

Wilson in his Rural Cyc. furnishes from several sources recipes 
in his article on " Wine," for making '• Wine from the leaves, 
tender shoots, and tendrils of the vine; if judiciously prepared, it 
is so excellent that Mr. MacCuUoch compared it to ' white her- 
mitage.'" See, also, MacCuUoch's Treatise on Wine Making 
Excellent wine is also prepared from the unripe berries, loc. cit., 
where the method is given. It is as follows: The claret vine 
leaves, as he observes, will produce a red color, and this tree 
could be cultivated for the express purpose. Having repeatedly 
prepared red and white leaf wine, we can with the greatest con- 
fidence oflPer a few abbreviated extracts from Mr. MacCuUoch's 
book, previously observing that the specific gravity of the liquor 
must here also be taken as the criterion of strength; the pro- 
portions are calculated for ten gallons of wine. The leaves 
should not have attained their full growth, and must be plucked 
with their stems. On forty or fifty pounds of such leaves, seven 
or eight gallons of boiling water are poured, in which they are 
to infuse for twenty -four hours; the liquor being then strained 
off, the leaves are to be forcibl}' pressed. A gallon more water 
is to be added, and the leaves again are to be pi'essed. A screw 
wine-press with hair bags, is very useful in the process. Sugar, 



256 

varying from twenty-five pounds to thirty pounds, is then to be 
added to the mixed liquors; the quantity is to be made up to 
ten gallons and a half. Such are the essentials of Mr. MacCul- 
loch's directions. We need only add, continues the editor, that 
if a fermenting, lively wine be contemplated, the manufacture 
must be conducted as in the process for Champagne, and the 
smaller of the two proportions of the leaves, etc., is to be em- 
ployed. The specific gravity of the must should be 1.110 to 
1.115. The fermentation must be carried on for a short time in 
the open vessel, or till the gravity be reduced to 1.090 ; and the 
barrel will require to be filled, and be kept full, in order to carry 
off the froth and leaven that rise to the top of the liquor. But 
we apprehend tbat grape leaves are better qualified to produce a 
dry wine, and, therefore, the larger proportion of leaves, etc., 
should be employed, and sugar to the extent that will raise the 
gravity to 1.120. In this case, the fermentation must be con- 
ducted in the manner already stated for the production of a dry 
wine from green grapes ; and when perfected, and the wine be- 
comes bright, it is to be fined and racked off during clear and 
cold weather, then returned to a clean and sweet cask, and 
bunged close. A second fining and racking may be required. 
Grape wine made from the green berries, we have found deli- 
cious in flavor, and quite fit for the table in two years or less. 
But the liquor obtained from the leaves contains a quantity of 
vegetable extract which conveys a flavor that time alone can 
subdue; hence, we recommend, the author adds, that it be al- 
ways retained two years in the cask, and be bottled iu the 
second winter. It ought also to remain during one entire year 
in the bottles. Wilson's Eural Cj^c. art. " Wine." 

The following brief statement of the mode of making wine, 
by J. S. Reid, of Fayette County, Ind., appears so simple, that I 
quote it here. (See P. O. Rep. 1855, p. 308:) 

" The mode adopted by me of making wine is as follows : 
From the 1st to the 15th of October, I continue pulling the 
grapes, always selecting the ripest ones first, and after mashing 
them in a tub made for the purpose, subject them to a small 
press made in the form of a cider-press. The barrels into 
which the juice is put are well washed with cold water, dried 
and fumigated with sulphur before the must is put into them. 
I then place over the bung-hole a piece of tin or sheet-iron per- 



257 

forated with small holes. The must is then allowed to ferment 
slowly for about three weeks, until the scum caused by the fer- 
mentation apparently ceases. The barrels are then filled and 
bunged tight until spring, when I rack the wine off into clear 
casks, washed out with cold water and juniper berries, and fu- 
migated with sulphur as before, to destroy any bad flavor. It 
is then ready for market; but during this time the casks re- 
quire to be frequently examined, and filled up, keeping them 
always full to the bung." The reader can find in the Patent 
Ofiice Eeports of 1855, p. 304, a brief statement by D. Ponce, of 
Hancock County, Ga., of the method of making Champagne 
wine in France. 

Dr. Wm. Hume, Professor in the State Military Academy of 
South Carolina, read a paper before the South Carolina Medical 
Association, on the '• Manufacture of "Wines in the South," and 
delivered a series of Lectures before the Aiken Vine Growing 
and Hort. Society, which have been revised and published in 
DoBow's Review, March and April, 1862. In these well written 
articles he gives the results of experiments, containing an expo- 
sition of a plan to obviate the disabilities of climate opposed to 
the manufacture of wine in South Carolina, etc. 

In brief, Pi'of Hume advises that the two qualities of sweet- 
ness and acidity in wines (which vary in different varieties and 
at different seasons) should be ascertained and considered by 
the wine maker. The latest date compatible with the full and 
perfect maturation of the grape should be selected forgathering, 
so that they should be as little acid and contain as much sugar 
as possible. 

Cellars should be consti'ucted in order to prevent acidity 
during the fermentation, and if necessary alcohol, brandy, or 
whiskej'^ should be added, to preserve the preparation from 
turning sour, and also to procure different varieties of wine. I 
would refer the reader to the articles for an agreeable and 
forcible exposition of the author's views. He rejects the idea 
that it is useless or improper to modify the juice of the grape by 
alcohol under its various forms. Many wines are to a certain 
extent factitious, but not adulterated. The writer says : "I 
have clearly shown that the purely manufactured wines of 
Aiken are either too acid or too weak in spirit — that these 
defects proceed from immaturity of the grape and from the 
17 



258 

high temperature of the must during fermentation. The high 
temperature induces two evils which are injurious to wine, viz : 
the loss of alcohol by its conversion into acetic acid, and its loss 
by more rapid evaporation during the exposure of fermenta- 
tion." Cool cellars are certainly one obvious desideratum. The 
addition of alcohol to wine as a preservative agent has been re- 
ferred to by writers: "The object and intention of adding 
alcohol to recent grape juice is to preserve it through the months 
of August, September and October unchanged by fermentation. 
During the month of November the cool weather is sufficiently 
established and continues in Aiken to conduct the vinous fer- 
mentation without the apprehension of the acetic ; hence wine, 
not vinegar, can then be made," (Hume.) 

The reader can find a good account of fermentation and the 
rationale of manufacture of various liquors in Solly's Eural 
Chemistry, p. 164, et seq. Drs, Gall and Petiol also refer to the 
process of " ameliorating " the wine made from the wild grapes 
by the free addition of sugar dissolved in water, adding also 
tartaric acid if the acid is deficient. The husks or pomace 
which remains is again treated with sugar, water or acid as long 
as any wine extract remains, and so an enormous amount of 
wine is made at small cost. In this process the grapes are 
mashed, not pressed. See details, P, O. Eep., 1859, p. 97. Tables 
for calculating the acid and sugar are described. I regret not 
being able to give this method in full. 

In connection with Prof, Hume's project of adding alcohol to 
wine, I extract the following from an article on the " G-rape and 
Wine Culture in California," P, O, Eep., 1858, p. 342. "An- 
gelica is a sweet wine, which is never allowed to ferment. It is 
made by adding brandy to white wine, which is the first and 
purest juice that runs from the press, in the ratio of one to three, 
as it comes from the press. It is thus kept from fermentation, mid 
always remains sweet. It is immediately put into close casks and 
drawn off as soon as it is clear, which is generally within four or 
five weeks. The casks for Angelica wine have to be prepared 
with great care by sulphuring. " Aguadiente " (brandy) only 
can be used in making Angelica, as it has the true grape flavor, 
which most other brandies have not. This brandy is distilled 
from wine made from leaves or from the pomace (skins of the 
grapes) of the pressed grapes. It takes about five gallons of 



259 

wine to make one of aguadiente." By this it will also be seen 
that the shape in which the alcohol is added is material. Let 
us compare the following with our difficulties here in South 
Carolina and Georgia, Italics are my own. Matthew Keller, 
of Los Angelos, Cal., says : " The manufacture of wine, in a 
suitable climate, is simple and may be done by any one of ordi- 
nary intelligence. But when the climate and soil are not adapted- 
to the nature of the grape, then, indeed, it becomes a complicated 
art. One of the most essential things to be observed in its manu- 
facture is the proper regulation of temperature, particularly 
during the phenomenon of the first fermentation ; and to this 
the least attention is paid. If the must is too cool, the fermen- 
tation is slow, and apt to sour; while if there is too much heat, 
it will soon go into the acetous state. Much which abounds in 
saccharine matter, and is deficient in ferment, requires a higher 
degree of temperatui-e than that which has these substances in 
opposite proportions. The strongest must, even when it con- 
tains much ferment, can support a higher temperature than the 
weak, because the great quantity of alcohol which is developed 
retards the action of the ferment and prevents the tendency to 
pass to the acetous fermentation. The best general temperature 
is between 62° and 64° Fahrenheit, There is little difficulty in 
maintaining the temperature in a cellar, but it may be observed 
that the act of fermentation elevates the temperature. To arrive 
at that which is the most convenient, it is necessary to pay at- 
tention to the temperature of the grapes at the time of mashing 
them: if picked early in the morning or at noon, it varies many 
degrees. To obviate this, they may be picked a day in advance, 
or they should be cooled in a large vat, and vice versa. These 
few facts comprehend all that is necessary to make wine, but 
they are subject to many variations and much detail, like most 
other processes of manufacture." The necessity for the display 
of judgment, and the value of experience in modifying pro- 
cesses, is true of the manufacture of indigo, of sugar from the 
different variety of canes, etc, No rigid rules adapted to every 
climate can be depended upon. That vats should be essential, 
I myself, without experience, felt sure from seeing their neces- 
sity in keeping porter and ale in Charleston, or cider in the 
upper country. We do not manufacture any of them in Charles- 
ton, but in order to bottle or keep them under favorable cir- 
cumstances, a cool cellar is essential. 



260 

The writer quoted above gives the method of making wine in 
Los Angelos, as follows: "The grapes are deprived of their 
stems by hand ; they are then mashed between wooden or iron 
rollers ; some tread them out in the ancient style. A portion of 
the juice runs into a cooling-vat, without pressing; the crushed 
grapes are put into a screw-press and forced out rapidly, all the 
result being must for white wine. As the grapes are black, 
and the coloring matter exists only in the skin, and requires in 
some degree the presence of alcohol to dissolve it, if the pressing 
be done quickly the wine will be white; but if slowly, or if the 
grapes come broken from the vineyai'd, the must will show 
color; for as soon as the fruit is broken, and the juice comes in 
contact with the air, fermentation commences, and simultaneous 
with it, the presence of alcohol, in a greater or less degree, 
which extracts the coloring matter. The must is then trans- 
ferred into the fermenting tuns, and the first active fermenta- 
tion goes on, according to circumstances, for from four to ten 
days. The mashed grapes are put into vats to ferment, from 
which results red wine. This is in part distilled into brandy. 
Some persons distil red wine with the "marc" into brandy im- 
mediately after fermentation, but if left to pass a secondary 
fermentation it would yield moi-e alcohol. The wine is racked 
off in January and February, again in March and April, and for 
the third time in September. It should be taken off the lees 
after the first fermentation subsides, when the wine has settled; 
for it cannot gain anything by being allowed to stand on the 
lees longer than is absolutely necessary. The proportions of 
saccharine matter and ferment in our grapes are well balanced, 
therefore there is no extraordinary art in making wine ; as it 
will make itself with common care, and without the addition of 
any extraneous substance. The purest and finest wines in the 
world are made from the juice of the grape alone (?) More 
capital is needed to make proper cellars, procure necessary ma- 
terials, and to enable us to hold our wines till they have age, 
when they would compare favorably with the best. See, also, 
P. O. Eep., 1859, p. 94, et seq.; also an extended account of grape 
culture and wine manufacture, with wood-cuts of presses, etc., 
in Eeport 1856, p. 408, by J. A. Warder, M. D., of Ohio. The 
diseases affecting the grape are also described. 

I obtain the following from the Southern Field and Fireside : 
Although this subject has been widely discussed, and hun- 



2G1 

dreds of methods recommended, still I see no satisfactory article 
written which has treated this question as to our Southern 
grapes and climate. Almost all the writers have confined them- 
selves to the Northern and Western wines and their modes of 
production, leaving out the idea that Georgia, Alabama and 
South Carolina had more resources for wine producing than 
all the North and "West combined, not speaking of the im- 
mensely superior quality of its products. I trust that the fol- 
lowing hints may be of service to some beginners, and be 
auxiliary to many masters in the art. 

There exist a large number of varieties of wine, differing 
among themselves by the color, perfume, taste, consistence, etc., 
and often many such varieties are produced by the same grape. 
Often those varieties of wine depend upon many circum- 
stances — such as difference in soil and sub-soil, exposure, mode 
of cultivation, climatic influence, degree of maturity of the fruit 
when "pressed, and above all, by the mode of making the wine. 
The first process is the gathering of the grapes, and this should 
be one of the most careful. The grapes should be thoroughly 
ripe, and the best signs of maturity are these: The stem of the 
clusters changes to brown, the berries become soft, and when 
the bloom is removed the skin is smooth and nearly transparent, 
the flavor is vinous sweet, and the seeds free from the pulp and 
dry. At this point the grapes should be gathered. If gathered 
sooner the wine will be of an inferior quality, and apt to form 
vinegar ; if later, the wine will be less in quantity and syrup- 
like. When the grapes have attained the right period of ma- 
turity, select a dry, clear day, and do not begin the gathering 
until the dew is well evaporated, and the grapes perfectly dry. 
Use sharp knives or scissors, and remove all green and decayed 
berries from the branches, and put them in clean wooden pails; 
then, if the press is some distance from the vineyard, put them 
in wooden tubs, which must not be too large, so as not to be 
difficult to handle, and transport by wagon. Now it is necessary 
to give some remark upon the process to be followed according 
to the mode of wine to be produced, and to the variety of grape 
employed. Our native grapes of the Lahrusca or fox type are 
mostly cultivated in this section of the country, and the wine 
they produce is of the Hock or Rhine wine order. The great 
value of that wine consists in its delicate aroma, or bouquet, and 



262 

to attain it must be an essential object in its making To this 
class belong the Catawba, Isabella, Diana, Delaware, etc., etc., 
the former of which being most generally cultivated. I will 
describe the process in its best manufacture. 

When the grapes are gathered they must be mashed between 
wooden rollers. The juice is received in a clean cask or vat, 
but the hulls, seeds or stems are carefully avoided to come into 
contact with the juice. After the whole is mashed it is pressed. 
The juice which runs out at the time of mashing should be kept 
separate from the juice which comes from the pressing, as the 
former will make a wine much more delicate than the latter. 
The pressed juice will be of a marked color. The casks or vats 
should be of as large size as consistent with the quantity of the 
crops. They should be made of the best white oak, with strong 
iron hoops. The greatest cleanliness is necessary. Wash the 
casks well, and further fumigate them by burning a wick of 
sulphur, and keeping the bung closed. Avoid sulphuring too 
much, as it will give a bad flavor to the wine if done to excess. 
Fill the cask full, then close it with a tight bung, in the centre 
of which is fitted a siphon, the lower end of which rests in a 
vessel filled with water. The juice of the Catawba, as well as 
that of all the grapes of that class, should never be fermented 
upon the hulls, as it then loses its delicate flavor, and only pro- 
duces a harsh wine — neither a hock nor a claret. The above 
method is also applicable to the juice of any grapes of which a 
white or jiale wine is desired. Juice thus treated should be 
left in the cask until the following spring, after the blossoming 
of the vine, at which period it will undergo a slight fermenta- 
tion. It can then be drawn off" in clean casks of i-equired size 
for market, or in bottles ; but it will be to its advantage to leave 
the wine in casks for two or three years before bottling. 

The process of making red wine is different — the grapes 
being mashed, with hulls, seeds, etc., in a fermenting-vat, (a cask 
having one head taken out will answer for a small vintage.) 
A faucet is put at about eight or twelve inches from the bottom ; 
usually a bunch of cuttings is placed in the interior to keep it 
free from the seeds, etc., in drawing off", leaving a space five or 
six inches between the must and the lid, which is well fastened, 
and has also a valve for the evaporation of the gas. This may 
be also arranged with a siphon, as in the manipulation of the 



263 

white wine, the end of which siphon must rest in water. In 
a few houi-8 after the must has been put in the vat the liquid 
Avill commence to ferment, the gas will be thrown off in large 
quantities, and bring upon the surface the stems, hulls and 
seeds, which form what the French term chapeau, (hat.) This 
mass is often very consistent. As soon as the chapeau shows 
signs of going to pieces is the time to draw off the wine from 
the vat. The residuum is then pressed, and generally makes a 
wine containing much tannin, and not as delicate as the wine 
first drawn. The latter wine is kept separate, or mixed with 
the other wine, as desired. As soon as the wine is drawn in 
clean casks put the bung in lightly for a few days, then bung it 
tight., A still easier method is to put a false bottom in the fei-- 
menting-vat, which is made from well seasoned wood, and holes 
bored all over. This false bottom is put upon the hulls to pre- 
vent their rising. Its position must bo regulated by the amount 
of p»mace in the vat, and kept steady by sticks. The vat is 
covered as before with a tight head and siphon, and the period 
of the drawing off the wine is visible when the fermentation 
ceases. In general, the fermentation will last from eight to 
twelve days. This method is applicable to all the colored 
grapes of the aestivalis, or summer grape type — such as Lenoir, 
Clinton, Jacques, etc. The cellar should be dry, and of an even 
temperature of about fifty to sixty degrees. After the young 
red wine is put into the cellar it will undergo a light fermenta- 
tion. The casks have to be filled occasionally, and kept full to 
the bung. As soon as dissolution of the sugar and the other 
constituents of the wine has taken place, the undissolved matter 
will settle at the bottom, and is called lees. When the wine 
becomes quiet and settled, it is time to draw it off in clean 
casks. In the above remarks I have endeavored to compress 
the wine making to a small compass, by which it will be seen 
that it is far less complicated than presumed. I give the 
different wines obtained from our native grapes. 

Yarieties belonging to the Vitis labrusca, or fox grape : 
Catawba. — A light colored hock, often equal to the celebrated 
Ehine wines. 

Diana. — Also a light colored wine, much more delicate than 
Catawba. 



litii 

Delaware. — From Bmiill expcrimcntH yields a wine of the 
muscatel class, remarkably rich, and very often makes a beauti- 
ful, sparkling wine. 

Isabella. — MukcH a wine of a pale red color, if fermented 
upon the juice, and a darker wine of a claret order if fermented 
\x\)0\\ the hulls. 

JIartford prolific and Concord. — A dark, harsh wine. These 
varieties are not well calculated for wine. 

Varieties belonging to Vitis aestivalis, or summer grape : 

Clinton. — Makes a high-bodiod wine of the claret order. This 
variety iy destined to bo relied upon as our red wino grape at 
no distant period. 

Jacques. — Gives a very dark wino of the Burgundy order. 
Its juice can be niunipulated us for white wines — there being a 
large amount of coloring matter in the juice. 

Lenoir with Clinton. — Will give a delicate claret or port. 

Warren. — Makes a wine of the Madeira class. 

Pauline. — Somewhat similar to above, 

Taylor or Ballet. — A white variety of the Clinton, and doubt- 
less will soon be our standing, or white wine variety. > 

Tke ticuppernong. — A v*uiiiiji-ot^ Vitis ooMif^Ua. Yields a 
wino of the muscat order, but unfortunately sugar and alcohol 
are too generally added, and thereby a good wino is spoiled. 

Many other varieties of our native grajjcs will soon be ex- 
perimented upon as to the wino making qualities; but with tho 
above list wo can obtain almost all the classes and colors of 
wine that are imported in this country. 

The Commissioners to the Paris Exposition recommend (P. 
O. lleport, 18G7,) the introduction into this country of a coarse 
but very productive grape called in Franco " En Eegat." It 
yields a ver}^ cheap wine. 

In Spartanburg District, S. C, they make out of the garden 
grape a very pleasant wine, which is the pure juice of tho grape, 
by the following 8im])le process: 

Squeeze the grapes through a bag; to each gallon of juice put 
one pound of sugar, (more may be added ;) sot it away in jars 
or casks for two or three days, occasionally skimming off all 
the supernatant froth, scum, etc. Then strain into a cask, 
adding some honey and brandy. A gallon of brandy may be 



265 

added to twelve i^ulIoiiH of juice. TIiIh wine \h Raid to (iqiuil the 
beHt quality. Very good wine is also made by adding Hugar 
and brand}' to apple cider, 

A correspondent of the Southern Field and Fireside writes as 
follows: 

" Cultivation of Grapes. — Growing Scu]>pernpng grapes in the 
South is easy, pleasant and very valuable. My plan is this : In 
February take the vines that you have rooted the previous 
year, and set them in some place where you want them, say in 
rows ten feet each way, with'some convenient place for them to 
spread their branches on, and soon orcct a good arbor to each 
one, and if they are well treated they will soon cover the whole 
field. The best land ibr this vino is light, sandy toil, and the 
best manure is grass or weeds, hoed up when green and put 
under the arbor; also, rotten wood, such as old boards, rails, 
sti(!ks, etc., piled under the vines. It is also good to have a pen 
aroufid the roots filled with all the scrap leather, old ehoes, 
bones, bi'ickbats, etc. When the vines begin to grow they must 
be pruned every spring, for the tendrils will rap around the 
branches, and when the branches grow large, die or break oil" 
it will injure the vine very much; but when they get old a large 
vineyard would require a great deal of labor, so this part 
generally receives but little attention when the vineyard is old. 
This grape is not only useful to preserve and pleasant to eat, 
but the most delicious wine can be made from them. When 
they are full}' rij)o gather them, and they can be ground in a 
gridder, or if that is not convenient, mash them in a trough; 
then press them well, putting three-quarters of a pound or a 
pound of sugar to the gallon ; in this every one is to be governed 
by his own taste. When well sweetened, put it in casks and 
draw it off from one to another, until it is purified ; then bung 
it very tightly to prevent evaporation, nud set it in a barn or 
cellar six or twelve months; it is then good enough for anybody 
to drink." 

Wine Farming and Making. — Mr. R. Buchanan, of Ohio, who 
is one of the most eminent vine-growers of this country, thinks 
that " wine farming will, in a few years, become simjilified, and 
almost as easily understood as corn farming. There is no mys- 
tery in it. Experience alone must teach the proper position 
and soil; the right distances apart for the vines; the most ju- 



266 

dicious methods of spring and summer pruning; and as for cul- 
tivation, keep the ground clean with the plow or cultivator, 
like corn. Certain rules are given in books for vineyard cul- 
ture, as pursued in the Ohio valley. These are the European 
systems, adapted to our own country. It will be safe to follow 
these rules, untilby experimenting we can find better. There 
is more room for progress in this branch of agriculture than in 
almost any other. 

" Making the wine is as simple as making cider. The great 
bunches are out from the vines, and all unsound or unripe 
berries picked off the bunch and thrown into a bucket, to 
make — with the addition of sugar — vinegar, or an inferior wine. 
The perfect grapes of each day's cutting are taken to the wine- 
house, and in the evening, after being mashed in a barrel with a 
beetle — stem and berries — or passed through wooden rollers in a 
small mill, are put on the press and the juice extracted. About 
one-third runs off without any pressure. The outer edges of the 
pomace are cut off for eight or ten inches after the first pressing, 
separated with the hands, and thrown on top, when the power 
of the screw is applied, and another pressing made. This is 
repeated two or three times. The juice from the last pressing 
being very dark and astringent, is put with the inferior wine. 
The other is put in large casks filled about five-sixths full, to 
ferment and make the good wine. No sugar or brandy should 
be added to the best Catawba juice, or must, as it makes a 
better wine without, and is strong enough to keep well. One 
end of the siphon is placed in the bung-hole of the cask; the 
other being crooked over, rests in a bucket of water. 

"The fermentation commences in a day or two, and the car- 
bonic acid escaj^es through the water. In ten or fourteen days, 
the siphon may be removed, the casks filled up, and the bung 
driven in lightly ; in a month tightly. In midsummer the wine 
is drawn off into another cask, and the lees of the wine, with 
the pomace of the grapes, are used to make brandy. 

"The wine will be clear and pleasant to drink in a month or 
two after the first fermentation ceases. The second fermenta- 
tion occurs in the spring, about the time of the blossoming of 
the grapes ; this is but slight, and it will be merely necessary to 
loosen the bungs ; when it is over, the wine will be clear in two 
or three months, and safe to bottle, but that operation had 



267 

better be deferred until November. And this is the whole 
process of making still wine — the wine for general use; and, 
being a natural product of tlie pure juice of the grape, it is 
more wholesome than anj^ mixed or artificial wine, however 
showy and high-priced it may be. 

"Let the grapes be well ripened; the press, casks, and all 
vessels perfectly clean, and then keep the air from the new wine, 
by having the casks constantly bung-full, and there is no danger 
of its spoiling. This is the whole secret. 

"It is presumed that no one will go into wine farming largely 
at first; but take the precaution to test, by the cultivation of a 
few acres, the capabilities of the soil, position and climate, and 
the kind of grapes best suited to it." 

I am induced to give place to the following article by Mr. P. 
J. Berkmans, of Augusta, Ga. As it treats of the Cultivation 
of the Grape at the South, and is written by a man of practical 
exp'Srience, (from the Trans, of the Richmond Co., Ga., Agricult. 
Club, 1867.) 1 will condense some of the information contained 
in the first portion. He states : 

1st. That there is still a lack of information on the peculiar 
culture of the grape, and in regard to the selection of varieties 
for the Southern States. 

2d. The countiy, by its natural productions, seems to be em- 
phatically the home of the grape, and he urges upon us the 
cultivation of the native varieties, the employment of the for- 
eign having been repeatedly found not adapted to vineyard cul- 
ture. Foreign grapes utterly fail after one or two seasons of 
fruiting; the seedlings also are not better than their parents. 

3d. He advises the planting of only a few but well tried 
varieties. . 

"Since the advent of the Catawba, which gave the start tor \- 
American grape growing and wine making, and which for'i' * 
many years, with the Isabella, made up the list of the then 
wine grapes, vine culture has made immense progress, as well in 
the application of sound principles in its culture, as by the pro- 
duction of numberless new varieties, some of which are now 
fairly rivalling in quality many of the good European varieties. 
A few years more of this steady march of improvement, and 
America will have no need to ask any grapes from Europe or 
Asia. 



*'lt is truo thut tho iniltivntioii of tho grupo l»ns jiot boon 
viM-v ivmuuorHtivo s«iiu'o ISiU ; but rv>pvM'(s tK>n» almost ovorv 
soot ion of tlio iH>untrv suv moro fsivorublo, niui ijivo us tho 
hojH» thrtt tho poriod ot" doony. whioh hsis boot» so tUtnl to vino 
oulturv\ has 5»t last ivaohovl its limit, auvi that a mivmo tavorahlo 
orn is oinniuonoinii'. 

"Whilo on this topio v»t" vlooay a tow words aro roijuiivd. 
Various jvasons l\avo boon givon as to tho oauso oC dooay. 
^'oithor wot nor dry woathor. oUl or youuj; vinos, soils too 
poivus vu* too ivtoniivo, K>n4j or short pruniuii', thorough oulti- 
valion or ontiiv nogloot, had anything to do with tho ijrnt't^U 
oauso ot" dooay. Ono or tho othor ot" tho abv>vo n\ay oauso par- 
tial dooay, but it oannot intluonoo tho grapo on>p thivuglumt 
tho tvuntry. A soil jvtontivo ot" humidity will, by itsolt", bo 
oonduoivo to dooay in tho t"ruit ; a)ii>thor, of too ariil a natu»v. 
will fail to supply tho ivquisito sa|> to tho vino w hon mv>st 
ntvdod. and by oithor oauso tho grapo orop will t"ail. Still wo 
havo soon, during tho past t'our yoai*s. tho ivvorso of what 
wo oould oxpoot. For instanoo, grapos would rot in a st>il 
whioh all vignonnjs would soloot for tho sito ot" a vinoyard ; and 
pivduoo sound fruit in a low soil undorlayod with stitV pipo olay. 
This is oontrary to all past oxjh rionoo. 

•• Souio y oars tho ivt would oommonoo upon tho ai»|H<aranoo 
of a nuny soason in Juno; at olhors. it would bo arrostoil upon 
tho oossaiion of rain. CMd vines in gonoral will fail soonor than 
youngor onos. thoir vigv>r being impaired by previous oxoossive 
oivps. NVhonovor a wii\e is allowed to overbear itself it sol- 
vlom roouponttos atterwaixis, even if the supply of nutrin\ont is 
uiore abuiulant than is genentlly tho ease. Wo should bo satis- 
fied with a modorato orop of t"ruit ; wo oan oxpoot this t"or a 
long period of years ; but if tl\o vine is allowed to produoe in 
one year thive times as muoh tVuit as it should naturally pw- 
duoe, it is to the detriment of its futuiv fertility and vigv>r. 

"Overbearing, at tirst or seoond pnuiuotion. is one of tho 
givai oausos of the early exhaustion of our vinoyanis. The 
laiui used tor a vineyani is generally impoverished by pn>viou8 
eroppings. The vino tii\ds in it a t"ow riMnaining oi>nstituonts 
requisite to its givwth and prvnluotion of tViiit ; being a roni- 
ciuk;>" feeder, it absorbs those ntpidly and in a short tin\o. A 
year or two of hoavv i>roduoinir of t"ruit oxhausts tho soil of 



2«a 

iiutritiv<$ tiUsmcMtM ; atui iUn r'tuh^ finding uo U)nfi;«r n im^npSy <ff 
itotiriuUun'.ui, if*f'/iu*t Uf tUn'Mtm in vigor and f«;rtility ; and, one* 
HtiiiiUui'tn growth, it >»<jldom nj'.'Uf/^jraUjw, «?v«;n if th<* afUrr-tr^^U 
m«nt iw Huch aM U> r<;turn a n<;w xupply ^/f noumbm4;nt t/> iti« 
w'/H. 'Hi*? UifnUiHt'.y Uf (fvarU^Af hit^mUi \ni oAttx^^iiA ', l>ut b//ir 
f<tw ifi'tf/fiih ituva nnifiit'taui t'/nxrai^ti i/t cut '/ff a j^/rtion '/f tb« 
f>riin';h<5*«. in <^rly i^pring? Jt in <;MM;ntiai V^ rhinos*-, ou^Amlf of 
>ie brancbe* a«( it'X/n ai» tb<iy ti^tpear; iim rtttoiuttiutf itAlf wil^ 
b«5 nior<; <U:Vi:\o\ti'A, th<; h«;rri<>. Iarg<;r, th<; t^tiaViiy improved, tb* 
weight of the fruit a»» large in the end a« if ail the hraneheo 
were l^t, and th« yim; wijl n//t exbaiMt it»<df «m> mueh. By 
overstraining nature fail>«; and it i* ea*ier for a vine t/.» perfect 
a do//<:n hunehen than U^ attempt t/^ do »>^> fi^r douhle that nurr*- 
l/er. Our iineMt n\Hi*nuniU» of fruits, nueh a« pean», p<:a/;he«, 
'<x\t\)Uin, eU:., art', the ojHt¥4it\tu',u<'At of a m*Ac.rnUi crop ^/f froit 
uj/'/n the tn^fc, eauMjd either naturally or artificially, hy rfJiKjy- 
ifig fi \ir<)]H'.r prof/^^rlion of the fl/^wer*, or, tH9tt4jr utiU, the 
flower hud»», a»» *»'>^^n aJ» they sip\t*'.nr. 

^Mt Ih a wrong jioliey t/i desire U^ enjoy to^> (»r>on ; FfMirujL 
Ijtidf. >^hould he the rn/^tto of the fniit grower. To revert t/^ the 
huhjeet of de'-ay, the main eauwj u'jijm*} to he purely ^ dir/t/xtk,* 
ami can he c/ttinmn/i ft an epidemic in man, or apix^Mfiy io ani' 
nmln ; it will make il« appearan'^e huddenly. and often a« »u/J- 
denly ceaw;. 'J'hi*i wa* the i;xp*iruiut^'. of French vine gr*iwer», 
although the cAitkntcUir <jf the dmeam tber« diflvrfA trout the 
Afuhnf-MU iirix\t*, thi. W*i ntay hen^;eforth have a long [^;riod 
of H'tuini fiiiit c;'op><, and jM;rhap>» lie vinite^J again hy the rot, 
after a long or mUorUsr time, But one tbiog i» eerUuo, that the 
d<^,ay thi« year wan le«»» destructive than at any period fein^;e 
l''.*/Z, the year of it*» fir<»t app«raranc<;. 

" (^lan the grajMj he cultivate^! here with a fkir prf/^^th^^ of 
profit? i"* a 'jue*ition that i>» firwt mtkfA hy new Ujginnerfc, It 
can he nitHWinA lit the affirmative, provide^! the right varieties 
l>e \>\nuUA. 

" The Coruujfd ha*> h<Mi^n pronounced at the North and Wefet 
the grape for the ' naUwh^ and the |KK>r luau'h wine graj>e. Thiu 
i« true for th'/w; t»<;ction», hut not for the Southern HinUm. We 
have a ii^n\>^: indigenou* to the country, which i* more deserv- 
ing that appeUatirin fir^r un ; one that will thrive on a n>eky hill 
a« well a»j in a rich hottom ; never iailing to pro<iuce a crop of 



270 

fruit; never having been known to rot, and, above all, needing 
no experienced hand to trim it. I refer to the Scivpj>er)iong. 
Its capacity of production is fabulous when compared to other 
vineyard varieties. Vines planted six years ago upon land that 
would not produce ten bushels of corn to the acre, in average 
years, have produced one and a half bushels of fruit each, and 
this is the fourth crop. They were planted without regard to 
the arbor training, under which mode the Scuppernong attains 
its largest size, but simply trained upon a wire trellis four feet 
high ; the distance twenty feet in the row. What will an acre 
produce at this rate, and what will it produce, if properly 
trained, and planted in a rich soil ? 

" Instances of a single vine covering one acre of ground are 
numerous, and sixty barrels of wine its product in a single sea- 
son. These are exceptions which vine growers must not all 
expect to realize; but they are merely given as an evidence of 
its wonderful fertility. Its culture is the simplest of all modes, 
and the outlay required to establish an acre is insignificant, as 
compared with the prices of the new varieties. Enough of the 
former to plant an acre can be procured for the price of a half 
dozen new comers. 

" The next best wine grape is the CJinipn, whose merits are 
now sufficiently known to give it its rank among the great wine 
grapes of the country. It is of Northern origin, but imj) roves 
as it is brought southward. It is very prolific and makes a 
heavy bodied claret. Other varieties are coming into notice, 
and bid fair to make valuable additions to this class of grape : 
such are the " Tree Seedling," etc. 

" Our good table grapes are becoming numerous. First comes 
Delaware, which seem to thrive everj-where South. Isabella 
bids fair to even excel the Delaware ; its quality is superior l;o 
any of its class ; so far it has not decayed, although,, from the 
short time of its introduction South, we cannot form a decided 
opinion as to its ultimate behavior; still, two years' fruiting, 
during which it bore perfectly sound crops, and this during a 
period when many other varieties, of like recent introduction, 
decayed, is a fair beginning and likely to end well. Hartford 
Prolific is as yet our best very early grape. As a profitable 
market fruit it stands first in order. The bunches and berries 
are large, of fine appearance, fair quality, and stands carrying to 



271 

market better than any other variety. It is not so liable to 
drop its berries as in Northern States. Its earliness will always 
make it command a high price. Miles is better in quality, fully, 
if not a little earlier, but not so fine in appearance. 

" Concord will long remain as one of our good grapes. Its 
skin is rather too thin to stand carrying to distant markets ; 
but it is very prolific, of fine qualit}^ and will doubtless make a 
good wine, although no experiments have as yet been tried 
upon a large scale. 

" Ontario, or Union Village, when well grown, rivals in size 
the Black Hamburg. It is a splendid looking grape, of good 
quality, and has decayed less than many of the heretofore con- 
sidered reliable grapes. When the Warren and Black July find 
a suitable soil and situation, no grape can compare with either 
in the peculiar texture of the fruit. The vinous flavor of these 
varieties belongs only to the type of sz«2IBer grape, ( FiYiS rps- 
tivalif,) from which they originate, and they are all well de- 
scribed by Downing, when he calls them 'bags of wine.' Other 
varieties have their merits; but they alone have given more 
satisfaction generally than others ; and we must be satisfied 
with them, especiall}^ if we expect to derive profit from grape 
growing ; and, until better varieties are produced, we must 
take them, as they combine variety enough to satisfy the most 
fastidious taste. 

" Hybridizing has been much experimented with of late ; but 
ver}'^ few of the so-called hybrids are really so ; they are, in most 
instances, true natives of either the Lahnisca or ^stivalis type. 
To Dr. Wylie, of Chester, S. C, belongs the credit of having 
achieved the best results. The thanks of all American grape 
growers should be given him for his efforts in improving our 
native varieties bj'' scientific and patient labors, and the fruits 
of these labors will, at no distant day, largely benefit the 
country. His experiments have been, by taking the native 
species as the female, and using the pollen of the foreign 
varieties as males. The offsprings show more foreign char- 
acters than native ones ; proving that the experiments were 
successful. By this process he has produced Delawares with 
the most exquisite flavor of the Muscats. Clintons as large as 
Concords, and with a Muscat or Chasselas flavor. By cross im- 
pregnation, taking his hybrid varieties as male, he has pro- 



272 

duced from the wild Halifax a most exquisite wine grape ; and 
the most pleasant feature with his hybrids, is that they have 
not been in the least subject to decay, although he states that 
the ground in which they are planted is not a suitable one for 
a vineyard. 

" The best soil for a vineyard is a dry calcareous loam, one con- 
taining natural salts and a proportionate quantity of vegetable 
matter. It is futile to expect a heavy grape crop upon soil too 
poor to be used for the cultivation of corn. 

" The different varieties of grapes will make different wines. 
Nearly all the varieties belonging to the Fox grape {Vitis La- 
brusca) will make a Hock. They are better suited to the pro- 
duction of white wines than red ones, when used by themselves. 
The Catawba, the Venango, etc., give a rough wine, when fer- 
mented upon the skins. The Concord, from its thinness of 
skin, contains less acid matter, and will, therefore, make a pala- 
table red wine. The Labruscas should have a portion of ^sti- 
valis mixed with them, when a red wine is desired. For in- 
stance Catawba and Isabella, with a third; Clinton, Warren or 
Black July, will give a superior red wine. The ^Estivalis class 
are more akin to the French wine grapes. The Clinton will 
give a fine Claret ; Ohio, or Jacques, something more resembling 
a Burgundy; Pauline, Warren and Black July will produce 
wines varying from a Sauterne to a Madeira. Scuppernong 
will make a delicious Muscatel. Enough for all tastes ; and it 
is to be hoped that, as we have the elements of success in our 
hands, we shall no longer allow them to remain unproductive." 

The objection to the Scuppernong as a wine grape is that the 
fruit produces almost singly and not in bunches, and hence is diffi- 
cult to gather. This, as well as other grapes, grow remarkably 
well in our common pine land when cleared and prepared — 
favored possibly by the characteristics of the soil combined with 
the protection afforded by the pine forest. I hope that in a few 
years grape culture will be regarded as an industrial resource 
by those residing in these comparatively sterile regions, and 
that it will yield employment and profit to our people. 

Mr. S. McDowel, of N. C, directed attention to the "Belt of 
no frost, or Thermal Belt," on the slopes of the Southern Alle- 
ghanies. It is a vernal zone which exhibits itself upon our 
mountain sides, commencina: about three hundred feet vertical 



273 

height above the valleys and traversing them, he says in his 
letter, in a perfectly horizontal line throughout their entire 
length, like a vast green ribbon on a black ground. Its breadth 
is four hundred feet. Here there is no frost, " and the most 
tender of our native grapes has not failed to produce abundant 
crops in twenty-six consecutive years." These should be 
selected for grape culture as the low valleys are unsuited to it. 
See the philosophy of the subject as described by him, in P. 
O. Eep., 1867, p. 29. 

MUSCADINE ; BULL ACE, ( Vltis vulpina, L.) A wine may 
be made from this grape. Two pecks of the mashed grapes are 
added to one gallon of boiling water ; allow it to ferment thirty- 
six hours ; add a little sugar to each gallon and lay it aside. It 
must not be sealed closely at first. 

AM. IVY ; VIEGINIAN CREEPER, (Ampelopsis quinquefo- 
lia, Mx.) Fla. and northward. 

Used by the " Ecletics " Dr. Wood states, as an alterative, 
tonic, and expectorant. The bark and the twigs are the parts 
employed. Dr. McCall has recently in the Memphis Med. Jour, 
recommended a decoction or infusion of the bark in dropsy. 
He believes it to act rather by stimulating absorption than as a 
diuretic. (Penins. and Independ. Med. J., June, 1858.) See 
U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

The " Ivy," (Hedera helix,) an exotic, which by its tendrils 
clings to and covers the walls of brick houses, has been exten- 
sively and successfully used at the South during the late war to 
restore the color of silk dresses — a strong decoction of the 
leaves, as I" am informed, is employed. It owes this property 
of imparting lustre and freshness to silk no doubt to the resin- 
ous ivy gum which it contains, a principal constituent of which 
is bassorin. 

CORYLACE^. (The Nut Tribe.) 

Properties well known. The seeds oily, and generally eat- 
able; the bark astringent, and often containing coloring matter. 

IRONWOOD ; HORNBEAM, {Ostrya Virginica, Willd., Ell. 
Sk. Ostrya carpinus, Mich.) Richland ; Newbern. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, ii, 619; Shec. Flora Carol. 355. Its 
leaves afford a grateful food to cattle. The wood is tough and 
18 



274 

white, and burns like a candle. I have suggested this (article 
in De Bow's Eeview) as a substitute for wood employed by en 
gravers. It is emploj'ed by turners, and wrought into mill- 
cogs, wheels, etc. A permanent yellow color is imparted to 
yarn by the inner bark. 

The birch hornbeam, (C. betulus,) growing in England, is very 
much used as a hedge plant, and is said to '• afford a more uni- 
form temperature of shade than a brick wall." Our species "is 
the most elegant of all the hornbeams of Britain." Wilson, 

"The sap of the hornbeam {Caiyinus sylvestris) is obtained in 
the months of April and May. At this period it is colorless, 
and clear as water ; its taste is slightly saccharine ; its odor 
resembles that of whey ; it reddens turnsole paper. The sap of 
this tree contains water in very large quantity, sugars, ex- 
tractive matter, (probably azotized,) and free acetic acid, ace- 
tate of lime, and acetate of potash in very small quantities. 
This sap, left to itself, presents in succession all the phenomena 
of the vinous and then of the acetous fermentation." Vauque- 
lin's Annales de Chimie t. xxxi, p. 20, first series; Boussin- 
gault's Eural Economy, p. 67, Law's edition, 1857. 

BEAKED HAZELNUT, {Corylus rostrata, Ait.) Grows on 
the mountains. Fl. March. 

Griifith, Med. Bot., 585 ; Duhamel's Mem. Am. Journal Pharm. 
Dr. Heubener, of Bethlehem, has employed the short, rigid 
hairs of the involucre as a substitute for those of mucuna, and 
has found them equally anthelmintic. 

I have collected this plant in fruit on Tiger River, near Reid- 
ville, S. C. The hairs are extremely fine, and pierce the skin 
with facility. I have little doubt with respect to their acting in 
a similar way with mucuna. 

HAZELNUT, {Corylus Americana, Walt.) Rich soils; along 
the margin of woods and thickets. West Florida and north- 
ward. Chapman. N. C. Edible. 

I have seen the hazelnut growing wild near Summerville, 
S. C, in Laurens Pistrict, and in Powbattan County, Va. Our 
American hazelnut is said to be preferred to the filbert. Wilson 
says that the oil which is obtained from hazelnuts by pressure 
is little inferior to that of almonds ; and under the name of 
nutoil is often preferred by painters, on account of its drying 
more readily than any other of the same quality. Chemists 



275 

employ it as the basis of fragrant oils, artificially prepared, 
because it easily combines with and retains odors. This oil is 
found serviceable in obstinate coughs. If nuts be put into 
earthen pots and well closed, and afterward buried eighteen 
inches or two feet in the earth, they may be kept sound through 
the winter. In many parts of England hazels (C. avellana) are 
planted in coppices and hedge-rows, to be cut down periodically 
for charcoal, poles, fishing-rods, etc. Being extremely tough 
and flexible, the branches ai*e used for making hurdles, crates, 
and springles to fasten down thatch. They are formed into 
spars, handles for implements of husbandry, and when split are 
bent into hoops for casks. Charcoal made from hazel is much 
in request for forges ; and when prepared in a particular man- 
ner, is used by painters and engravers to draw their outlines. 
The roots are used by cabinet-makers for veneering ; and in 
Italy the chips of hazel are put into turbid wine for the purpose 
of fining it. Eural Cyc. Our species will doubtless answer for 
all these purposes. Hemp-seed oil also is used by painters. In 
the countries where yeast is scarce, they twist the slender 
branches of hazel together, and steep them in ale yeast during 
its fermentation ; they are then hung up to dry, and at the 
next brewing are put into the wort instead of yeast. Farmer's 
Encyc. 

WHITE BEECH, {Fagus Sylvatka, Fagus V. Americana, L.) 
Eich, shaded swamps. Kichland; collected in St. John's ; New- 
bern. Fl. March. 

Shec. Flora. Carol. 559 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 585 ; Fl. Scotica, 
ii, 583 ; Linn. Veg. Mat. Med. 175. The bark is astringent, and 
has been used, according to Dr. Farnhara, in intermittent fever; 
but it is not possessed of any decided powers. The fruit pro- 
duces vertigo and headache in the human species. It is ob- 
served, in the Fl. Scotica, that "the fat of hogs, which feed on 
them, is soft, and will boil away." The seeds yield an oil little 
inferior to olive oil, and fit, also, for burning. The pulp re- 
maining after expression may be converted into flour, similar in 
taste and color to wheat, but sweeter. A narcotic principle, 
called fagine, has been found in the husks. The young leaves 
are sometimes used by the common people as a potherb. The 
wood is valuable to cabinet-makers and turners, for manufac- 
turing purposes — being capable of receiving a high polish. 



276 

Every kind of implement, plane stocks, tool handles, may be 
made of this wood, which resists great pressure. In England 
the beech is extensively used for umbrella handles. See Dick- 
ens' Household Words. Liebig states that the ashes of the 
beech contains a larger proportion of phosphate of lime than 
those of any other tree. See his Agricultural Chemistry. It 
is observed in South Carolina that the lands on which it grows 
are not usually suited for cotton ; and we may, perhaps, attri- 
bute it to their depriving the soil of this, so necessary a con- 
stituent in the maturation of that plant. In the lower country 
of South Carolina, the beech is one of the most magnificent of 
our forest trees. Chapman only includes in his work F. feru- 
ginea, Ait. 

By distilling, says Ure, beech tar {F. sylvatica) to dryness 
with other processes, ^arajs/iwe is obtained. "It would form 
admirable candles," the author adds, while referring to the pro- 
duction of paraphine as an article of commerce from peat. I 
insert this here (1862) as deposits of peat ai'e found within the 
Southern States. The ashes of peat, also, are worth something 
as manure. They usually, Norton states, contain five or six 
per cent, of potash and soda, and considerable quantities of 
lime, magnesia, iron, etc. Soot, a substance somewhat allied, 
contains a large quantity of ammonia, and is useful as a ma- 
nure, so much so that when laid on heaps of grass the plants 
are destroyed. Michaux says that our beech bears a strict 
analogy with the European beech. The beech should be felled 
in the summer when the sap is in full circulation ; cut at this 
season it is very desirable. In the Fagus sylvestris, white beech, 
"the duramen or perfect wood, bears a remarkably small pro- 
portion to its alburnum. The bark of old trees is used by tan- 
ners as a substitute for oak bark." In England beech wood is 
employed for many purjjoses — the nuts or mast being given to 
hogs. See, also, Eural Cyc. The wood of the red beech is 
stronger, tougher, and more compact than that of the white. 
In the State of Maine, and in the British provinces, where oaks 
are rare, it is employed with the sugar maple and yellow birch 
for the lower part of the frames of vessels. The beech is in- 
corruptible when constantly in the water. The ashes of both 
species of beech yield a very large proportion of potash. Mi- 
chaux, who describes the process of extracting the oil, says 



277 

that it equals one-sixth of the nuts used. The quality of the 
oil depends upon the care with which it is made, and upon the 
purity of the vessel in which it is prepared. It should be twice 
drawn off during the first three months, without disturbing the 
dregs, and the third time at the end of six months. It arrives 
at perfection onl}' when it becomes limpid several months after 
its extraction. It improves by age, lasts unimpaired for ten 
years, and may be preserved longer than any other oil. The 
manner of making beechnut-oil most commonly pursued in the 
districts of the Western States where the tree abounds, is some- 
what different from that described in Michaux's Sylva. Instead 
of resorting to the rather tedious process of gathering the nuts, 
and pressing them through screw-presses, the farmers turn out 
their hogs immediately after the first frost, who secrete the oil 
under their skin. Unless they be fed some time before killing, 
upon Indian corn, the bacon has little solid consistency, becomes 
liquW upon the slightest application of heat, and keeps that 
state, resembling in that respect the lard of hogs fed upon acorn 
mast. The nuts are only plentiful every third or fourth year. 
I have observed that the beech growing in the swamps of S. 
Carolina mature a very scanty supply of nuts. I obtain the 
following from a journal, (1862:) 

Beech Tree Leaves. — The leaves of the beech trees, collected at 
autumn, in dry weather, form an admirable article for filling 
beds. The smell is grateful and wholesome ; they do not harbor 
vermin, are very elastic, and may be replenished annually 
without cost. 

CHINQUAPIN, (Castanea piwiila, W.) Diffused in upper 
and lower country ; sometimes attaining a height of thirty feet; 
vicinity of Charleston ; St. John's; JSTewbern. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 189. The bark has been used in intermittent 
fever, but is probably possessed of very little value. The fruit 
is eatable. The wood is finer grained, more compact, heavier 
and even more durable than that of the chestnut, and is ad- 
mirably adapted for fence-posts — lasting in the ground more 
than forty years. Farmer's Encyc. The bloom of this tree 
and of the persimmon is said to destroy hogs. See following. 

CHESTNUT, (Castanea vesca, L.) Fairfield District, Florida 
and northward. In South Carolina only found in upper dis- 
tricts ; one of our noblest trees. 



278 

The fruit of this tree and the chinquapin (C. ptimila') are well 
known. Eaten either raw or boiled. The roots contain an as- 
tringent principle ; that of the chinquapin boiled in milk is 
much used in the diarrhoea of teething children. I would advise 
a tea made of this to be used extemporaneously in diarrhoea by- 
soldiers in camp. The late Dr. Nelson Burgess, of Sumter 
District, S. C, informed me that at the recommendation of Dr. 
Jones, he has used the decoction of the root and bark of the 
chinquapin frequently as a substitute for quinine in intermittent 
and remittent fever, and with decidedly satisfactory results. I 
mention this hoping that it will be examined by others. I can 
have no clue to the reasons of its utility, regarding it here- 
tofore simply as an astringent. Hot water is poured over the 
root and bark, and a large quantity taken during the twenty- 
four hours. 

Dr. J. S. Unzicker, of Cincinnati, reports the use of a decoc- 
tion of the leaves of the chestnut in hooping cough. He says 
that he has given it in about thirty cases, in all of which it gave 
decided relief in two weeks. He uses a decoction made with 
three to four drachms of the leaves in a pint of water given ad 
libitum. Caulophyllin, in doses of one-fourth to four grains, has 
also been much used recently in this disease and in asthma. 
Boston Med. and vSurg. J., Jan., 1868. See, also. Bates in Tilden's 
J. Mat. Med. Sept., 1868, article containing a history of the 
Blue Cohosh, (Caulophyllum.) 

The bark of both trees contains tannin, and may be used in 
tanning leather. In Italy, chestnuts are baked as bread, and 
there and elsewhere are i^lanted as food for hogs. 

Wilson, in his Rural Cyc, says that coppices of chestnut afford 
an excellent produce every ten or twelve years, for hop-poles, 
hoops and all kinds of elastic props and handles. "The wood 
of young chestnuts serves better for gate-posts or for any other 
purposes which involve constant contact with the ground than 
any other kind of wood, except yew or larch. It is lauded as a 
good succedaneum for the coarser kinds of mahogany in the 
making of furniture." It ranks nearly equal with oak. " Cask 
staves of chestnut possess the double recommendation of not. 
being liable to shrink and of not imparting a foreign color to 
liquors which the casks may contain. The wood of the chestnut, 
though brittle, is very durable in weather. I am informed that 



279 

fence-rails made of it will last over twenty years. The trees 
can easily be raised from the seed. 

BLACK OAK; QUERCITEON OAK, {Quercus tinctoria, 
Bartram.) Upper districts ; rare in lower; collected in Charles- 
ton District; St. John's; J^orth Carolina. Fl. April. 

Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 194 ; Am. Med. Record, iii, 363 ; 
Barton's Essay to Form. Mat. Med.; Alibert, Nouv. Elems. de 
Therap. i, 93 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. v, 590 ; Edinb. 
Med. Journal, 72 ; U. S. Disp. 581 ; Mich. N. Am. Sylva, i, 91 ; 
Journal de Pharm. et de Chim. v, 251 ; Royle, Mat. Med. 559 : 
Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 396 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 585 ; Am. 
Herbal, 153. The bark, a powerful and valuable astringent, is 
also possessed of purgative properties, in which respect it has 
an advantage not met with in the Q. falcata. They have both 
been efficacious in leucorrhoea, amenorrhoea, chronic hysteria, 
diarrhoea, rheumatism, pulmonary consumption, tabes mesen- 
terica, cynanche tonsillaris and asthma. Oak-balls produced by 
these ''re also powerful astringents, and are employed in many 
cases requiring such remedies — as in diarrhoea, dysentery and 
hemorrhage; also, in mild cases of intermittent fever. The dose 
of the powder is forty grains. The powder of this, or of the 
bark, mixed with hog's lard, is a very simple and effectual 
remedy in painful hemorrhoids and a decoction is serviceable as 
a fomentation for prolapsus uteri and ani, and for defluctions 
from those parts. According to Dr. Cullen, it is applicable in 
relaxations or impaired conditions of the mucous membranes, 
on account of its tonic, constringing effect, and as a gargle in 
inflammation of the fauces, prolapsus uvulae, etc. Mr. Lizars 
has used it with " wonderful success " in the cure of reducible 
hernia. It is applied topically in mortification, and to ill-con- 
ditioned ulcers. Marasmic and scrofulous childen are bathed 
with great advantage in a bath made of the bark. Although 
this species acts slightly on the bowels, it contains more tannin 
and gallic acid than the Q. alba and Q. falcata ; hence it is better 
suited to cases requiring an external astringent. Quercitron is 
obtained from this and the Q. falcata (which see) indiscrimi- 
nately, and is sent to Europe in large quantities to be employed 
in dyeing wool and silk of a yellow color. 

The bark is a well known and important dyestuff, and is much 
employed in dyeing wool, silk and paper-hangings. It is said 



280 

by Dr. Bancroft, who introduced it into notice, to be equal in 
power to ten times its weight of woad. With a basis of alumina, 
a decoction of the bark gives a bright yellow dye ; with oxide of 
tin, it gives a variety of tints from pale lemon to deep orange ; 
and with oxide of iron, it yields a drab color. The cellular in- 
tegument of the bark is what contains the coloring matter. 
Wilson's -Rural Cyc. " Oak-galls put into a solution of vitriol in 
water give it a purple color, which as it grows stronger becomes 
black." Infusions of oak-galls (tannin) are excellent tests of 
iron. Gallic acid is also yielded by the gall-nuts, and by oak 
bark. The principal barks which are known to yield it are 
those of the oak, willow, plum tree, the poplar, the elm, the 
mountain ash, the birch, the elder, the sycamore, the beech and 
the cherry tree. But it by no means, adds Wilson, follows the 
proportions of tannin. It is readily, but very slowly obtained 
from a cold, long-kept and eventually evaporated decoction of 
galls, or of the tanniniferous barks. Wilson's Rural Cyc. and 
medical authors. 

The best season for felling timber is undoubtedly midwinter, 
the next being midsummer, when the sap is chiefly confined to 
the young shoots, the circumference of the soft wood and the 
bark. The worst time for felling timber is the spring, just 
before the development of the buds, when the tree is fullest of 
sap. Where much value is attached to the soft or outer wood, 
felling ought to take place when there is least sap in the tree. 
In general, all the soft woods, such as the elm, lime, poplar, 
willow, should be felled during winter; hard woods, like the 
oak, beech, ash, etc., when the trunks are of large size and 
valued chiefly for their heart- wood, may be felled at any time. 
When the bark, however, is to be taken into consideration, as 
in the oak, the tree should be felled in spring, as then the bark 
contains four times the quantity of astringent matter to that 
felled in winter. Brande's Dictionary of Science ; Farmer's 
Encyclopoedia. 

All oak bark for the tanner ought at latest to be removed 
from the tree before the third week of June, " when the sap 
has begun to rise and before the leaf is completely developed ;" 
and every ton of it, says Wilson, which is removed after the 
first of July, is not only impoverished in tannin, but weighs 
two hundred weight less than if it had been removed before 



281 

the end of May. Other trees may in England be peeled 
earlier. The reader interested in procuring barks should read 
the article, Eural Cyc, " Barking." The best methods of col- 
lecting and storing are described. The instruments used in 
collecting bark are a mallet to beat the bark and a wedge, both 
made of ash, to insert beneath the loosened bark. The wedge 
is spatula-shaped. Slight wetting does not injure bark. It is 
dried in dry, open air, upon supports, so that water will not 
collect upon it. The bark should be frequently turned. When 
it is sufficiently dry to avoid fermentation, it should be carried 
to a dry-house or shade, or stacked in the same manner as ha}'^ — 
in stacks not so large as to incur the risk of fermentation. In 
the Farmer's Bncyc. the plan of removing bark is described. 
It is stated that tannic acid most abounds when the buds are 
opening, and least in winter, and in cold springs. Four or five 
pounds of good oak bark of average quality are required to form 
one pound of leather. The bark separates from the tree more, 
easily during spring. See Am. Farmer's Cyclopoedia. 

See article '" Leather," in Wilson's Eural Cyc, for mode of 
preparing the varieties of leather, tanning kidskins for French 
gloves, etc.; also '• Rhus," in this volume. 

The editor of the Southern Field and Fireside, April, 1862, 
states in answer to inquiries " that the bark of the black poplar 
is used in England for tanning, but not, we believe, in this 
country. It has probably about half the strength of black oak 
bark. Blackberry briars, roots and stems washed clean (this it 
will be observed confirms my own observations) supply a good 
deal of the tanning principle ; and our common broomsedge, or 
straw, has been largely employed in the manufacture of leather 
in European nations where timber barks are insufficient to meet 
the public wants. Sumach is exported largely from Sicily for 
tanning goat and sheepskins. Oak leaves, fennel and May-weed 
abound in tannic acid, and we intend experimenting with the 
bai'k of old field pine for making leather. That it contains tan 
we know; but whether it will be profitable to peel and use it 
has yet to be determined. Larch is much used in Great Britain 
and hemlock at the North." 

From a useful communication in the Southern Field and 
Fireside, October 19, 1861, it is stated that oak bark has sold in 
the District of Columbia at ten dollars a cord for years ; and 



282 

that " several million dollars worth of sumach (^Rhus) is an- 
nually imported from the south of Europe into the United 
States for tanning purposes." The Ehus grows abundantly in 
the Southern States, as well as many other plants containing 
tannin. I have noticed, in traversing that part of the Dismal 
Swamp near Norolk, Va., that the Rhus is the most character- 
istic growth. See Sumach. It could be procured in any amount. 
The writer of the article just referred to calls attention to the 
great amount of goatskins and morocco manufactured and ex- 
ported from France and England, where tannin is scarce, to 
this country, where the materials for producing it are abundant, 
at least in the Southern States. I quote from the writer in the 
Southern Field and Fireside as follows, and also refer the reader 
to my own examination of several of the plants growing in St. 
John's Berkeley, S. C, October, 1862. for the relative amount of 
tannin in plants. See " Z/iquidambar," in this volume: 

" But such is the demand for leather one may well use oak 
and chestnut bark hewed oif at any time in the year- Sumach, 
fennel and pine bark are much used in Europe. Whether any 
of our common pine barks contain tan enough to warrfint their 
use has, we believe, never been tested. Larch bark is much 
used in Scotland, although only half the strength of oak. Mon- 
teath, of Stirling, applied chemical tests to the infusion of dif- 
ferent barks with the following results: Oak (coppice) contains 
most tannic acid ; ash and hornbeam next ; Spanish chestnut 
third ; willow fourth ; birch, beech and larch fifth ; spruce and 
silver firs sixth ; mountain ash and broom seventh ; and next 
Scottish pine, bramble or briars, laburnum, and the sawdust of 
oak timber." My examinations were made before I saw this 
paper. 

Dr. Daniel Lee in the papers published in the Southern Field 
and Fireside, from which I have drawn largely, earnestly ad- 
vises us to be more economical with regard to our supply of 
barks for tanning. "It is poor economy," he says, "for the 
South to destroy nearly all its valuable tan-bark in clearing oak 
land, cutting rail limber and firewood, and thereby deprive our 
children and grandchildren of the power to manufacture their 
own leather. The time has come when this error must be cor- 
rected, or serious injury will be the consequence. To send a 
million dollars worth of hides to the Noi'th, have them tanned, 



283 

and the leather made into shoes, boots, saddles and harness for 
Southern consumption, is to pay about eight or nine million 
dollars for the support of that Northern economy which never 
wastes the bark that grows on oak or hemlock trees, and that 
industry which turns this bark into gold." I know this criticism 
is partly just; still, the planter at the South cannot often turn 
to the storing away or sale of all the oak or other bark on his 
place when he is compelled to clear new land, and can scarcely 
accomplish that properly ; whereas at the North the farmer is 
compelled to every expedient to add to his resources. 

I have endeavored, in the examination made by me to show 
that the leaves of many of our native trees — such as the sweet 
gum, myrtle, etc., ai*e rich in tannin, and being easily procured 
may be substituted for barks, which are difficult to prepare. 
Mr. Jno. Commins, of Charleston, informs me (1867) that he 
employed myrtle and other leaves extensively and profitably 
in tanTiing leather during the late war, but whether it was 
original with him, or the result of my "suggestion and publication, 
I do not know. Tanners in the State of New York, Dr. Lee 
states, save tan-bark enough to manufacture three times as much 
leather as the four millions of people in that State consume. 
" Leather is largely exported from New York and Massa- 
chusetts to England, the Southern States, and the great prairie 
West." He condemns " the habit of felling oak trees when the 
bark will not peel." See " Quercus,^' " BMs," " Myrica," and 
'^ Jjiquidambar,'^ for notice of plants suitable for tanning leather ; 
also Wilson's Eural Cyc, art. "Currying," for method of pre- 
paring and dressing leather, and Ure's Dictionary of Arts. 

" Method of tanning. — For doing a small business hot water 
and hot ooze ma}' be best run upon the bark to extract all its 
tannic acid in a short time ; but in a large way either a copper 
heater should pass through the leech holding bark, or it should 
be boiled by steam. A copper pan is sometimes used, set on an 
arch, for heating ooze. A mill for working hides operates pre- 
cisely like a fulling-mill in scouring and fulling cloth. When 
dry and weighty, Spanish hides are tanned. Hide-mills have 
heavy hammers, which are elevated eight or ten inches by a 
revolving wheel, and fall with an oblique stroke on the hides, 
that causes them to turn like cloth in a fulling-mill. Any hori- 
zontal staff will work a hide-mill, and a horse-power will drive 



284 

the shaft. Our friend, Prof. Kutherford, has constructed a 
horse-power for fifty dollars on his farm (which joins that of 
the writer) that would drive a hide-mill as easily as it now 
threshes wheat, and cuts hay and straw for horses. As this is 
a cheap and valuable power for farm use, it has been our pur- 
pose to describe it, which we shall yet do. 

" Any mechanic, by seeing the model of a hide-mill, could 
easily make one. It needs no cast iron double crank like a 
fulling-mill. The whole aifair can be made of wood. Our tan- 
ning in the South is many years behind the progress of the 
age." The reader interested in this subject may consult with 
advantage lire's Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures ; also an 
excellent article on tanning and leather, in Nicholson's Ency- 
clopoedia. 

I am induced to insert, in connection with the subject of 
materials for tanning, a communication entire upon the subject 
from the pen of Dr. Daniel Lee, in the Southern Field and Fire- 
side, November 30, 1861. It contains practical instruction on 
the subject of manufacture of leather on a small scale by farmers 
and planters : 

"It will be better for several farmers, having from five to ten 
hides each, to unite in the purchase of a bark-mill for grinding 
tan-bark, and in constructing a few vats for their common use, 
than for one to be at the whole expense for so small a business 
as his own alone. The most primitive way of tanning is in 
troughs dug out of large trees like pine and poplar; but mo- 
lasses and bacon hogsheads will form the cheapest tan-vats for 
the farmer's use. Dig out the earth two-thirds the depth of 
the hogsheads ; pound moist clay over the bottom on which the 
hogsheads are to stand. Three or four will do for the tanning 
part of leather-making. Let them not come within six inches 
of each other, so that moist clay may be pounded closely 
around each hogshead to within three inches of the top. If 
bark cannot be ground, it should be broken or cut fine with an 
axe, so as to fill two of the hogsheads. Heat clear spring or 
rain-water boiling hot in large pots or kettles, till the bark in 
both hogsheads is covered with it. Let the bark steep and 
soak a week or more, while the raw hides are prepared for the 
ooze and tanning. One hogshead will do for this, but two are 
better. They ought to stand some yards fi*om the bark-vats, 



285 

because lime spattering into the ooze injures it. Surround these 
with clay like the hogsheads used for tanning. 

"After the horns, tail and dew-claws are removed from a 
green hide, it is split into two halves or sides, from the tail to 
the nose on the pate. If the hide is dry, it must soak and 
soften first. After it is split it goes upon the beam, and the 
operative scrapes and tears off all the flesh, and part of the 
fascia or membrane which covers the flesh side of every skin. 
It is now ready for the lime. A half bushel of recently slaked 
lime, or some less of quick lime, will do for a hogshead nearly 
full of water. The lime and water should be well stirred with 
a clean hoe or " plunge " before putting sides or skins into the 
same. They should be often moved about in the lime water by 
a lever some seven or eight feet long, and hauled out once a 
day with an iron or wooden hook such as tanners use. As soon 
as the hair will slip, sides should be worked over the beam and 
rinsed In the soak, or water hogshead, to remove the hair and 
all the lime. The hogshead used as a soak, washed clean, is 
now to serve as a hen-dung vat or bait. It ferments, and is 
ripe for use in one or two days, after soaking in a half hogs- 
head or more of water. Much pains and care are used in work- 
ing sides and skins out of the bait, as they go from this into 
the tan ooze. They will soon taint and spoil in warm weather. 
Worked and washed clean, the sides and skins are next handled 
two or three times a day in tan ooze until they are evenlj' col- 
ored, and get a handsome, fine grain. The handling is done in 
this wise : Place three or four pieces of plank four feet long 
down as a platform, so as to slope over the hogshead, and let 
ooze from the leather, when lifted out of it upon the plank, run 
back into the hogshead, and not waste upon the ground. Short 
pieces of scantling or sticks of clean wood lie on three sides 
of the plank, over which the edges of the two sides laid down 
extend, and thus form a sort of trough open only at the end 
that lies over the edge of the hogshead. All the sides are 
drawn up separate from the liquor with a hook, and spread by 
hand on the platform, and are thrown back into the ooze again. 
If the latter is weak, it is half or more pumped out, and fresh, 
strong ooze is pumped in. The two hogsheads of bark, with 
boiling hot water, will keep up the strength as fast as ten or 
twelve sides can possibly absorb it, after starting with two 



286 

hogsheads of good ooze. You cannot heat old ooze in an iron 
vessel, as it would spoil it ; but you may, perhaps, obtain 
a copper still, in which tan ooze may be heated without the 
least injury to the liquor or the still. The heated ooze is put 
on the bark, as it is much better than water, where it is allowed 
to become about as cool as the atmosphere. 

"As the tanning advances, skins and hides require less hand- 
ling. We should hang them across sticks an inch or less in di- 
ameter, in and under the ooze. The ends of these sticks or rods 
should rest on a light frame in the hogshead, and four inches or 
more below the top. Allowing two inches for each stick and 
side, fifteen sides would occupy thirty inches in width in the 
hogshead. Batts and butts hang down near the bottom of the 
hogshead, where the ooze is strongest. A small hand-pump 
should be put frequently by the side of the leather and of the 
hogshead, to lift the ooze at the bottom to the top. Sides are 
handled a week or too before suspending them separately in 
ooze. 

"As pumping is easier, and less wasteful than dipping, we will 
state the way in which a cheap and good pump can be made : 
Its whole length should be some six feet, and the material, 
plank, not over an inch thick. The open space on the inside 
for the ascent of ooze or water should be about three inches 
square. Two strips of plank thj'ee inches wide, and two five 
inches, the latter lying on the former on both sides, will form 
an aperture in the centre of three inches square. The plank 
ought to be closely jointed, and either painted or covered with 
tar or melted pitch to make all the joints water-tight. Of 
course the nailing should be close and perfect. A box of half- 
inch plank comes up two inches inside from the bottom of the 
pump for the leather valve to rest upon. 

" One side of the valve is very simple, but not easy to describe. 
Imagine a funnel made of thin, flanky sole-leather, four inches 
in diameter across the top, and as many deep down to the neck, 
and that its centre is nailed or tied fast to a rod that is to serve 
as a piston in the pump. The weight of water or other liquid 
to be raised in pumping can set this pliable leather cup to adapt 
itself to the square shape of the aperture in the pump; and to 
prevent this cup or funnel falling back in lifting ooze or water, 
three narrow strips of leather, sewed to the top of the funnel 



287 

on three sides, (one on each,) are nailed witla small nails to the 
piston-rod above, say six inches from the funnel. A small but 
strong wooden pin passes through the end of the rod which, 
held in the hand, enables one to lift easily all the liquid in the 
pump. The discharge from the pump is made in the usual way, 
a foot or more below the top of it. Any one who can use a 
plane can make a pump of this kind take ooze from the bottom 
of one vat, tub or hogshead filled with bark or leather, and put 
it expeditiously into another, where all stand on a level or nearly 
so. A thin case keeps the tan-bark or leather from filling the 
little space required by the pump, which is put into the vat or 
hogshead, and taken out as often as needed. Any blacksmith 
can make the beaming-knives used by tanners, but not those 
used by curriers in finishing leather. The former are curved, 
and often have small teeth to tear up the tough membrane under 
the skin. All-tan bark should be clean and dry, for dirt and 
earth IJlaeken leather. Careless persons often get clay and mud 
into tan-vats, than which nothing is more injurious. Few arts 
demand equal neatness in their operatives With the most im- 
proved apparatus and good bark, the labor of tanning is small. 
An expert will work one hundred grown hides into the bark or 
ooze in a month, for which we generally paid twenty dollars; 
and the labor of tanning two hundred sides was abouD the same 
after they came to the bark. 

"If a farmer can get his hides tanned and curried for half of 
the leather they will make, it is probably better than to attempt 
to tan them himself. Let him improve his pastures by cultiva- 
ting the best grasses, and raise more fat cattle for home con- 
sumption, and thus have three or four hides for the tanner 
where he has one now. This will call first-class tanneries into 
existence that will give a pound of good sole-leather for a pound 
of dry hide, or nearly that. Every farmer ought to spare all 
the tan-bark he can ; for we speak advisedly when we say that 
the Southern States are even now short of oak bark if they are 
to manufacture all the leather which they consume in saddles, 
bridles, harness, saddle-bags, buggy and carriage trimmings, 
caps, hat-linings, book-bindings, shoes and boots. It has been 
the misfortune of the Cotton States to underrate all other indus- 
tries but that of producing their great staple. H<.-nce the 
scarcity of good mechanics and artisans. Hence we make no 



288 

effort to diversify our agriculture, and thereby meet many pub- 
lic wants, while resting our land from the scourge of eternal 
plowing. That system of husbandry which accumulates the 
elements of crops and fertility in every acre cultivated, is still a 
myth to most planters. Southern nationality will expose, and 
happily correct many errors. We shall learn to make as much 
cotton and corn on two acres as we now do on six, and at the 
same time we shall produce tenfold more of the necessaries and 
comforts of civilized life. Our dependence on foreign industry 
and skill for so much of what we consume encourages the world 
to believe that our subjugation is only a question of time. Since 
the mechanical trades are necessary to our happiness, we should 
encourage our sons to become scientific mechanics, as well as 
farmers, lawyers, doctors, and priests and soldiers." 

On account of the importance of the subject I insert here the 
following directions for " Tanning on the Plantations" by T. 
Affleck, from the Am. Agriculturist, also republished in the 
Southern Cultivator, vol. i, p. 198, the paper by J. S. Whitten, 
and one in vol. vi, p. 177: 

" Tanning leather for the use of the plantation is an item of 
good management that should not be overlooked by any planter. 
Nor would it be as much overlooked as it is if the simplicity of 
the process was generally known — that process, I mean, that 
will suffice for making leather for home use. The tanner by 
profession, in order to prepare an article that will command a 
good price in market, and have a merchantable appearance, puts 
the hides and skins through a greater number of manipulations, 
and that he may work to better advantage, has his arrange- 
ments on a more extensive scale. 

"The vats, tools, and implements really needed are few and 
simple. Four vats will generally be found all-sufficient; one for 
21, pool of fresh water, and for baiting ; one for liming ; another 
for coloring ; and a fourth for tanning. The best size, in the 
clear, is seven feet long, four and a half feet wide, and five feet 
deep. They should be placed so as to be easily and conveniently 
filled with water from a spring, running stream, or cistern. Dig 
the holes nine feet by six and a half and six ; if the foundation 
is clay, the depth need not be over five feet. Form a stiff bed 
of clay mortar in the bottom on which to lay the floor, and on it 
erect the sides and ends of the vat, of plank of almost any kind. 



289 

sufficiently thick to resist the pressure from without — two 
inches will be thick enough. When this is done, and the whole 
nailed fast, fill in the vacant space all round with well tempered 
clay mortar, ramming it effectually. It is on this, and not the 
planks, that dependence is placed for rendering the vat perfect. 
When well made a vat will be good for a long lifetime — the ooze 
preventing the decay of any but the top round of plank. Such 
a vat will hold fifteen large beef hides, (thirty sides,) besides a 
number of small skins. 

" The material used for tanning is the bark of the red or black 
oak, stripped when the sap flows in the spring, stocked and 
dried, of which about four pounds are supposed to be necessary 
to produce one pound of leather. There is an article occasion- 
ally used called "catechu," which is an extract made from the 
wood of a mimosa tree, a native of India, half a pound of which 
answers the same purpose. Galls, willow bark, the bark of the 
SpanislT chestnut, and common elm, as also sumach, are all used 
by the tanner. It has been recently found that the root of the 
palmetto answers an equally good purpose with the best oak 
bark. 

" Bark has to be ground as wanted ; or if the quantity needed 
is small, and it is not thought advisable to incur the expense of 
a bark mill, (from $10 to $18,) it may be pounded in a large 
mortar, or beat up on a block. ' It will require one-third more of 
pounded than of ground bark to afford equally strong ooze, 
which is the infusion of bark. 

"The principal tools requisite are a flushing-knife, currier's 
knife, a brush like a stiff horse-brush and a fleshing-beam. The 
fleshing-beam is made by splitting in two a hard wood stick of 
about a foot in diameter; inserting two stout legs, some thirty 
inches long, in one end on the split side, so that the other end 
rests on the ground, with the round side up, the elevated end 
being high enough to reach the workman's waist. A fleshing- 
knife may be made by bending an old drawing-knife to suit the 
round of the fleshing-beam. 

" The skins of bulls, oxen, cows and horses are called hides; 
those of calves, deer, sheep, etc., are known as skins. 

" Fresh and dried hides receive the same treatment, except 
in the washing process. Those that are salted and drj'-, (and 
no hide should be di-ied with less than from two to four quarts 
19 



290 

of Bait being rubbed on the flesh side — dried without salt, it is 
extremely difficult to soften them ;) require to be steeped, 
beaten and rubbed several times alternately, to bring them to a 
condition sufficiently soft for tanning. 

" Green or fresh hides must be soaked in pure water from 
twelve to twenty-four hours, to extract all the blood, etc., and 
soften the extraneous, fleshy matter, which must then be re- 
moved — throwing one hide at a lime on the fleshing-beam, grain 
or hair side down, and scraping or shaving it off with the flesh- 
ing-knife, which must be somewhat dull or the skin ie apt to be 
cut. They are then put in the liming-vat, which is supplied 
with strong lime water by filling the vat a little over half full 
of water, and adding thereto four bushels of unslaked (or of 
air-slaked) lime, or at the rate of two-thirds of a bushel of lime 
to the barrel of water. This will suffice for fifteen hides; each 
time that they are removed and a fresh lot of hides put in, add 
another bushel of lime, which will keep up the strength for a 
twelvemonth. Before using stir the lime well up, and while it 
is thus mixed with the water j)ut in the hides evenly, so that 
the lime will settle on every part of them. They are to remain 
here from ten to fifteen days, or for three or four days after the 
hair will rub ofl" with the finger completel}- and with ease. 
While in the liming-vat they must be moved up and down ever}'- 
other morning, to expose them to the air, and to the equal 
action of the lime. Being now ready for unhairing, cut each 
hide in two by slitting them along the centre of the back with a 
knife, forming them into sides. Throw ten or twelve of these 
sides on the fleshing-beam, and strip the hair off with the knife ; 
and as they are unhaired, throw each one into the vat of fresh 
water to bait or soak. When the lot of sides and skins in hand 
have all been unhaired and thoroughly washed, throw them 
again, and at once, on the fleshing-beam, with the grain or hair 
side up, and work them over (rub and press them) with the 
knife until all the gummy or mucilaginous matter is worked 
out. This should bo repeated two or three times during ten or 
twelve days, being each time baited anew in fresh water. And 
this working over must only be done when the sides feel soft 
and smooth to the touch ; as they will at times from some Un- 
explained cause, feel rough, at which time they must not be 
worked over. While they are thus boiling they must not be 



291 

neglected, or they will soon spoil. Tanners are in the practice 
of adding one thousandth part of sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) 
to the last bait, which has the effect of swelling the pores and 
distending the fibres, and thus rendering the skins more suscep- 
tible to the action of the ooze. Forty-eight hours generally 
suffices for this last baiting. 

" In the meantime, some good, strong ooze should be prepared 
for the first tanning process, called coloring. Fill a vat a little 
more than half full of water, and add bark, in the proportion 
of one and one-half bushels of ground, or two bushels of pounded 
bark to the barrel of water, which will bring the vat up to 
about two-thirds full. When the bark has soaked from four to 
five days, the sides are put in and allowed to remain fifteen 
da3's ; during which they must be once well and carefully fleshed 
and worked over, and must be drawn up and down every morn- 
ing, for the first week at least, and the bark well plunged or 
stirred up, to have them color evenly. 

''After this, the vat being now two-thirds full of this same 
ooze, after drawing out the hides lay a good coating of fresh 
bark, of say an inch thick, on top of the water, on which it will 
float ; lay on this a side, spread out evenly, and if it has to be 
lapped over in any part lay on more bark until it is all well 
coated, taking care to place those hides at the bottom of the vat 
now that were at the top last time. On this side lay an inch- 
coating of bark, and on that another side, and so on, with alter- 
nate layers of bark, until the vat is full, or the sides all laid 
away. 

" In this, which is called the first bark, the sides must lie four 
weeks. They are then drawn out, and the spent bark taken 
out with a skimmer or drainer. The sides are then replaced as 
before, with alternate layers of fresh bark, in the same ooze, 
which has acquired some additional strength, notwithstanding 
the amount of tannin and extractive matter contained in the 
bark that has become intimately combined with the animal 
fibre of the hide. In this second bark they remain six weeks 
undisturbed, when they receive a third bark in the same wa}^, 
in which they are left another six or eight weeks. Three barks 
will suffice to tan deer, hog, calf and other small skins ; four 
barks will make good sole-leather, but five are preferable. 

•'The tanning process being completed, sole-leather is taken 



292 

out of the vat, rinsed effectually, and dried in the shade, hang- 
ing the sides up by two of their corners to joists, where they 
may remain until wanted. Those sides intended for upper and 
harness leather, (which are those of cows, etc., the largest and 
thickest bullock hides being used for sole-leather,) as also deer, 
hog and other small skins, being thoroughly rinsed, are spread 
out on a strong table, with the grain or hair side up, and 
scoured with a stiff brush, like a very stiff horse-brush, occa- 
sionally throwing on pure water, until all the ooze is scoured 
out. Tanners use the edge of a stone, made smooth, to assist 
in rubbing out the ooze, and all the water that can possibly be 
rubbed out. They also use what they call a slicker, being a dull 
edge of copper of about six or seven inches long set in a piece 
of wood, to serve as a handle. 

" After they are all served thus, and rubbed as dry as possi- 
ble, the table is cleaned off and the skins thrown back upon it 
grain side up, and are rubbed with tanner's oil (codfish oil) as 
long a.s the leather will receive it. Harness leather must be 
completely saturated. As they are oiled fold them up and lay 
them aside. When they are all gone over lay one on the table 
at a time, flesh side up, and with a rag rub on all the dubbing 
that the leather will absorb. Thin hides require but a small 
quantity ; harness leather must have a heav}^ coating. 

"Dubbing, which consists of equal parts of tar and tallow, 
melted together and well mixed, must be made the day pre- 
vious to being used. Lard may be used in place of tallow; but 
will require a lesser proportion of it. Each side of leather is 
then hung up by two corners to joists, there to remain until 
perfectly dry, or until wanted. 

"If iron or steel touches a hide during the process of tanning 
when in the least wet, or even moist, it will discolor it, forming 
an indelible black mark. 

" To blacken harness or other leather, take the skin when 
completely dried, and if any greasy spots appear, showing that 
more oil or dubbing has been applied than the leather could 
absorb, wet the spots with a little strong ooze, and scrub them 
out with the brush. Then apply a coat of copperas (sulphate 
of iron) dissolved in ooze, until the leather has a good color all 
over. After this, when dry, put on another good coat of oil. 
The leather may then be smoothed off with a rounding edge of 
polished steel, or glass, or stone." 



2ti3 

The following is from the Southern Cultivator: 

"Having tanned my hides for a number of years, and be- 
lieving it to my interest, I suppose it will be profitable to others 
who have many raw hides. 

"I have succeeded well, and think my leather firmer, and 
more valuable for negro shoes and the coarse harness on my 
farm than tan-yard leather. My plan is a much cheaper one 
than Mr. Affleck's. 

" I tan from ten to fifteen hides a year, of various sizes. I 
have two vats five by seven feet, four feet deep, sunk in the 
ground near a falling branch, so constructed at the boUom that 
I can draw a plug and wash and empty them. I begin in March ; 
soak my hides ten days in running water. Two or three times 
I take them out and give them a good rubbing or washing. They 
are then ready for the lime, as we call it. I then put them in 
one of my vats and divide equallj'' among them from three and 
one-half to five bushels of good ashes and two or three quarts 
of lime, and cover the whole in water. The lye had better be 
strong, and if you err, err on that side. Every few days I take 
them up, or rather stir them up and mix them again, so that all 
parts shall be equally acted on by the lye and the atmosphere, 
in the top and the bottom of the vat. If your lye is right, in 
ten or twelve days your hides will be thickened to two or three 
times their first thickness — feel more like a sheet of jelly than 
anything else — and the hair will slip easily. Then slip off the 
hair, and with a drawing-knife or a curry in g-knife scrape off 
the loose flesh and cellular matter on the other side, and as 
much of the lye as you can, without bruising the hide ; and 
then put them back into fresh and clean water. Every other 
day take them up and give them a good rubbing or scouring, 
for ten days. They are then ready for the bark ; and by that 
time you can slip the bark off your oak trees, and have it ready 
for the hides. I never grind my bark. I take it from the tree, 
and with a drawing-knife take off the rough on the outside, and 
just beat it enough to cause it to lie flat in the vat. In my other 
vat I do all my tanning, and commence with a layer of bark, 
then of leather, and so on ; and so lay it in the vat that every 
part of each side of the leather shall lie against bark; and when 
I am done, I immerse this entirely in water. 

"The first j'ear you had better boil an ooze in kettles or pots 



2y-t 

and use that instead of water, and afterward always preserve 
your old ooze to use next year instead of water. I let this lie 
until the first of August, and put in a second bark precisely as 
the first, and let it lie until some time in October or November, 
when my leather is fully tanned, if these directions have been 
followed. "When the leather is well tanned it presents a yellow, 
spongy appearance, through and through ; otherwise you will 
see a white or hard streak in the centre. When I take it up I 
scour the ooze well out of all. That I intend for sole-leather 
I straighten and dry; that for upper leather I wash well, then 
grease well with the cheapest oil I have, and after drying eight 
or ten days I moisten it, curry off the spongy, soft part from 
the flesh side, and when moist, beat it or break it over some 
rough surface until it is comparatively soft, and the grain side 
is all puckered up or wrinkled into small wrinkles. Then, when 
my leather is thoroughly dried and shrunk, it is fit for use." 

"We have been reading some accounts of a new business which 
we think may become immensely profitable in Virginia. It is 
the extracting of the astringent or tanning properties of the oak 
bark for the production of leather. The information we have 
convinces us that the business will yield very large profits. An 
article we have before us on the subject from a Georgia paper 
says : 

" Five-sixths of the leather made in the United States is pro- 
duced in the New England and Middle States. In the prosecu- 
tion of this business, Boston and its immediate vicinity alone are 
said to consume about four hundred thousand cords of crude 
bark annually, and the enormous consumption which this fact 
illustrates, is very rapidly exhausting all the accessible sources 
of supply of the crude material, and raising its value, as the 
distance from which it must be brought and the difficulties of 
gathering it increase. 

"These facts suggested the idea of inventing machinery to ex- 
tract and condense the tanning properties of the bark in the 
original forest; so that a cord of bark is reduced to a single 
barrel of forty-five gallons. This extract is worth in the North- 
ern cities ten cents a pound or a dollar per gallon — the gallon 
weighing ten pounds — and the whole barrel, therefore, worth 
forty-five dollars'; and the demand for it in Europe and America 
can hardly be met by any probable supply. The manufacture 



295 

of this bark extract, commencing during the war when the for- 
ests of the South were inaccessible, has been confined principally 
to the hemlock forests of the North and East, which produce 
one thousand barrels daily — about four-fifths of which go to 
Europe and the remainder is used principally by the tanners of 
Boston. 

" The machinery for manufacturing this extract is very heavy 
and effective, and costs from eight to nine thousand dollars. It 
is driven by a twenty -five horse power steam engine. The bark 
in slabs, as stripped from the tree, is first soaked in a tank, with 
water kept at a temperature of one hundred and seventy de- 
grees by steam. It is then passed between iron rollers, which 
compress it to the thinness of wrapping paper, crushing everj'- 
fibre and air and water cell in the bark. In this condition it 
falls into another tank, where it is broken up and beaten, and 
agitated in warm water by paddle wheels driven at a velocity 
of one hundred revolutions a minute, and thereafter treated 
until the water has attained the point of saturation. At this 
density it is carried to a condenser and further reduced to the 
desired point of strength for barreling and shipment. 

" If all these figures and data are correct, evidently there is an 
excellent chance for profit from the oak forests of the South. 
More than this — in the spring of the year the tannic acid has 
been found by experiments to be much stronger in the young 
oak leaves than in the bark, and we see no reason why they, 
too, might not be brought into requisition for the manufacture 
of this concentrated tanning extract." 

A letter from a gentleman in New York familiar with the 
business says: "The tanning properties of a cord of oak bark 
reduced to the consistency of ten pounds to the gallon, which 
makes it imperishable weighs four hundred and fifty pounds. 
This is worth in Philadelphia ten cents per pound, and in New 
York and Boston it commands a ready sale at twelve and a half 
cents, while in London and Liverpool it sells at fourteen cents 
in gold per pound. The demand abroad for American oak ex- 
tract will for many years exceed our ability to supply, while 
that for home consumption will test our utmost enersry to meet. 
Oak extract at ten cents per pound, when bark can be had at 
five dollars per cord, will yield to the manufacturer a net profit 
of twenty-five dollars per cord ; and as one machine is capable 



29(3 

of making two pounds per hour, or forty-eight pounds every 
twenty-four hours, it is easy to compete the returns which may 
be realized by running it for a single year. These figures raaj'" 
seem incredible to your people, but I challenge any one to show 
wherein they are incorrect." 

"Wilson's Rural Cyclopoedia, article " Charcoal," furnishes a 
table of the proportions, color and quality of charcoal furnished 
by "various trees ; also methods of preparing it at the iron-works, 
with the mode of making lampblack. The willow, alder and 
dogwood are employed for preparing charcoal for the manu- 
facture of gunpowder. See Salix, ^^ Finns." 

SPANISH OAK, {Quercus falcata, Mx.) According to Elliot, 
common on the seacoast; collected but sparingly in St. John's; 
Eichland ; grows also in Georgia ; vicinity of Charleston ; New- 
bern. 

Chap. Therap. and Mat. Med. ii, 493 ; U. S. Disp. 581 ; Bart. 
Essay on the M. Med.; Alibert, Nouv. Elems. de Therap. 193; 
Phil. Med. Mus. 11 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. v, 586 ; 
Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 170. This is possessed of the astringent 
qualities characterizing the genus ; it has not, however, the 
purgative property found in the Q. tinctoria. It is employed as 
an astringent wash for gangrene. A decoction is administered 
with great success in dysentery, pulmonary and uterine hem- 
orrhage, and some have said, in intermittent fever. See Q. tinc- 
toria and alba. In domestic practice, where an easily obtained 
and efficient astringent is required, this, and the more common 
species, the Q. rubra, are of no little value. They are used to a 
large extent on the plantations at the South. 

This and many other oaks produce an excrescence called gall 
nuts, or oak-galls. These contain tannin and are used for 
making ink. In a letter from a gentleman residing in Flat 
Rock, N. C, I am informed that he obtains the greatest relief 
in piles by the application of the fresh oak-gall rubbed up with 
mercurial ointment. He found it better than any application 
he had ever used. They are used when fresh. 

WHITE OAK, {Quercus alba, L.) Diffused; St. John's; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. May. 

U. S. Disp. 582 ; Royle, Mat. Med. 659 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 
586. The bark is officinal, and is generally used in similar 
cases with the above, with the exceptions before mentioned. 



297 

By some it is preferred to the others on account of its not act- 
ing on the bowels. The decoction is sometimes employed as an 
injection in leucorrhoea and gonorrhoea. The bark contains tan- 
nin, gallic acid, and bitter extractive, the former predominating. 
The bark is officinal, the young bark being preferable. The 
whiter bark, and the delicate and finely lobed leaves, with the 
general neat appearance of the tree, serve to distinguish this 
from the other varieties of the oak, than which it is more 
acceptable to the stomach. All, however, are valuable for 
external application. It is astringent and somewhat tonic. 
Powder: dose, from one-half drachm to one drachm. Extract: 
dose, half that of the powder. Decoction : bark bruised, one 
ounce ; water, three half-pints ; boil to one pint. Dose, one 
wineglassful. Surg. McLauglin and others of Lynchburg, re- 
port through the Surgeon-General's office C. S. A. a favorable 
notice of the decoctions and syrups of the Quercus alba and 
Hubiis villosus in chronic diarrhoea, stating that the tinctures of 
R. V. and of Ooniiis Florida make an excellent astringent tonic. 

This is one of the most valuable of our forest trees, and it is 
largely employed for manufacturing purposes, and in the do- 
mestic economy of the plantations in the Southern vStates. The 
wood is hard and durable. The following I obtain from a jour- 
nal, (1868:) 

A Charleston letter to a Northern paper says : "A singular 
flowing back of one of the great currents of trade is indicated 
by the fact that during the present month eight large vessels 
have cleared at this port, loaded with lumber fo"r Maine. This 
is ' carrying coals to Newcastle,' yet the white oak of South 
Carolina is superior for ship timbers to any tree in the forests 
of Maine, while the roots of the yellow pine are far better than 
those of the tamarack for ships' knees, both in shape and dura- 
bility." 

The following table is the result of the experiments of Bar- 
low upon the "Absolute strength of different kinds of wood 
drawn in the direction of their fibres." Wilson's Eural Cyc. on 
the strength of materials may be consulted. Article from Een- 
wick's Elements of Mechanics : 



298 



Boxwood 20,000 lbs. 

Ash 17,000 

Teak 15,000 

Norway Fir 12,000 

Beech 11,000 

Canada Fir 11,000 

Kussia Fir 10,700 

Pitch Pine 10,400 

" Absolute cohesive strength of wood drawn in a direction at 
right angles to the fibres :" 



English Oak 10,000 lbs. 

Am. .White Pine 9,900 

Pear Tree 9,800 

Mahogany 800 

Elm 5,800 

Cast-steel was 140,000 

And Gold 80,000 



Teak 818 lbs 

Am. Whate Pine 757 

Norway Fir 648 

Beech 615 

English Oak 598 

The following table gives the "respective strength of various 
substances:" 



Canada Oak 588 lbs. 

Pitch Pine 588 

Elm 609 

Ash 369 



Metals. 
Wroiight-iron, Swedish. ..22,000 lbs 

" English 18,000 

Cast-iron 16,000 



Wood. 

Teak 4,900 lbs. 

Ash 4,050 

Canada Oak 3,500 

English Oak 3,360 

Pitch Pine 3,250 

Beech 3,100 

Norway Fir 2,950 

Am. White Pine 2,200 

Elm 1,013 

English oak resisted a greater amount of pressure, by Ron- 
nie's experiments, than many other kinds of wood; three times 
as much as elm, for example. See, also, article "Timber," in 
Rural Cyc, for method of preserving, relative strength, etc. 
In England the shipwright considers that three years are re- 
quired thoroughly to season timber. Timber is best preserved 
by immersion in water for six months, and the exposure to 
shade for another six months. The white oak cleaves and splits 
readily, and is used in making plantation baskets. I have seen 
it used in place of cane in making chair seats. The white oak 
lasts longer in weather than hickory. 

White Oak Baling. — White oak slats, basket fashion, take the 
place of gunny bagging, and hoops of the same wood take the 
place of rope. With machinery for cutting the slats, two hands 
can get out enough for one bale in twenty minutes. 



299 

I will introduce under the genera " Quercus" and " Carya," 
what I have thought useful on the subject of ashes, pearlashes, 
potash, soap, etc. Information is required on these invaluable 
substances. For processes, see lire's Dictionary of Arts. For 
" soda," see " Salsola,'' in this volume. 

"A cement for cisterns, as hard as marble, and impenetrable 
by water forever," is made of wood ashes two parts, clay three 
parts, sand one part, mixed with oil — all ingredients easily ob- 
tained." 

"Concentrated Lye" is a very pure preparation of caustic 
soda, or soda ash purified. The following is the method of 
making hard soap with this substance, which is preferable to 
potash or any of its preparations; it is also very economical: 
" One half box of concentrated lye, four pounds of grease, one 
pound of rosin, five gallons of water. Boil all together until 
the soap is made — a point easily determined ; then add a half 
pintt)f salt dissolved in a quart of water, boil a few minutes 
longer, and pour oft" into tubs to harden. This will yield about 
thirty pounds of excellent hard soap, at a cost of about two 
and a half cents per pound." 

The following general deduction, which is instructive, is made 
in Wilson's Rural Cyclopoedia, art. "Ashes:" "Trees, in a gen- 
eral way, make a plentiful yield of potash, somewhat in the 
degree of their hardness, their heaviness and the closeness of 
their texture; and the chief of them may upon this principle 
be distributed into four classes — first, the oak, the ash, the yew, 
the beech, the chestnut, the pear, the crab, the blackthorn and 
the broom ; second, the elm, maple, hornbeam and white-thorn 
third, the pines and firs; and fourth, the birch, alder, poplar, 
hazel and willow. When six loads of the ashes of the first class 
are sufficient for an acre of land, ten or twelve loads of the 
ashes of the fourth class may be required." It will thus be 
seen what room there is for selection in using trees for ashes or 
for the production of potash. For further information on pot- 
ash, ashes, soaps, hickory, consult " Carya" in this volume. 

Table of mean results of experiments of Messrs. Kerwan, 
Yauquelin and Pertues, upon ten thousand parts of each plant — 
amount of potash in each — (Chaptal:) 



300 



Elm 39 of potash. 

Oak 15 " 

Beech 12 " 

Yine 55 " 

Poplar 7 " 

Thistles 53 " 



Fern 62 of potash. 

Cow Thistle 196 " 

Wormwood 730 " 

Vetches 275 " 

Beans 200 " 

Fumitory 890 " 



In selecting plants to burn for potash, which can be done on 
any plantation, those which are thus seen to yield most should 
be chosen. " G-rasses, leaves, the stalks of French beans, of 
peas, melons, gourds, cabbages, artichokes, potatoes, maize and 
garget, are very rich in this alkali." Thistles, nettles, broom- 
heath, brambles, ferns, should all be collected. The fumitory 
and wormwood (exceedingly rich in potash) are both grown in 
the Southern States. The plants are first dried and then 
burned and the ashes leached, which should be repeated. Hot 
water is better than cold. The potash can easily be extracted 
from the lye by evaporation. "The process," says Chaptal, 
" may be commenced in a copper boiler, into which a very fine 
stream of the lye should flow to replace that which evaporates; 
when the liquor has acquired the consistency of honey it should 
be put into iron boilers to complete the operation. As the sub- 
stance thickens, care must be taken to remove that portion of 
it which adheres to the sides, and to stir the whole carefully 
with iron spatulas. When the substance congeals and becomes 
solid upon being exposed to the air, it is poured into casks and 
and thrown into commerce, under the name of salts. The whole 
process is simple, and may be conducted upon our farms without 
any- difficulty." Pearlash may be procured from the potash by 
calcination. See treatises on the Arts. 

The following observations may be found useful to the soap 
manufacturer, even if he be a planter or farmer, which I quote 
from Thornton's Family Herbal: In the large manufactories 
the lye for making soap should be made no stronger than to 
float a new laid egg when the workmen begin to form the mix- 
ture. The oil or tallow is first boiled with a weak lye until the 
whole is formed into a saponaceous compound. It is then kept 
boiling with a stronger lye until it acquires a considerable con- 
sistence, and seems to be separating from the fluid below. This 
separation is a very material part of the operation, and to effect 
it completely a quantity of common salt is added ; the materials 



301 

are coDtinually boiled for three or four hours, and then the fire 
is withdrawn. The soap will now be found united at the top 
of the liquor, or what is called the waste lye, which is of no 
further use, and is therefore drawn off. The soap is now melted 
for the last time with a lye, or even with water. It is then al- 
lowed to cool, and afterward cast into wooden frames. The 
last melting is important, as giving compactness. A solution of 
sulphate of iron will mottle soap by dispersing it before the 
soap hardens thi'oughout the mass. 

A most economical mode of washing, which has been em- 
ployed by farmez-s, which reduces the labor of days to that of a few 
hours, might bo adopted in armies. The washing of an entire 
regiment, when in garrison or in cities, might be done syste- 
matically and collectively with far less exposure and loss of 
time. I obtain the method from some of the journals: 

On^the night preceding the day intended to be set apart for 
washing, the clothes, white and colored, coarse and fine, are put 
in tubs of clear water, where they remain all night. A large 
size vessel, the larger the better, is half tilled with water, which 
is raised to the boiling point. To one containing sixty gallons 
put two teaspoonsful of sal soda, one quart of soft soap, and one 
quart of lime water, made by pouring three gallons of water on 
one quart of lime the night previous, so that it may have had 
time to settle, and in proportion if smaller vessels are used ; stir 
the water and ingredients well together, when the clothes are 
put in, and boiled rapidly for an hour; they are then taken out 
and rinsed well. The same lime water maj' be kept until it is 
all consumed. The receipts for making the soap is as follo-ws: 
The ingredients for one hundred pounds do not cost more than 
one dollar and fifty cents. Take six pounds of potash, four 
pounds of lard, one-fourth pound of rosin; beat up the rosin, mix 
all together well and set aside for five days ; then put the whole 
in a ten gallon cask of warm water, and stir twice a day for ten 
days; at the expiration of which time, or sooner, you will have 
one hundred pounds of excellent soap. Strong lye water or 
concentrated lye may perhaps take the place of the potash. A 
gill of alcohol added to a gallon of soft soap, applied to clothes 
in the usual way, and soaked several hours before washing, fur- 
nishes an economical method. 

Lye from wood ashes added to tallow, eight ounces to two 



302 

pounds, melted over afire, it is said, greatly increases the hard- 
ness of the candles made from it. 

EBD OAK, (^Quercus rubra.) Diffused ; grows in great abun- 
dance ; St. John's ; Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. April. 

U. S. Disp.; Griffith, Med. Bot. 587. Employed like the others 
as an astringent ; as a drying astringent powder it may be used 
in place of the Cinchona bark. It is easily obtained and con- 
veniently prescribed. I have myself found the bark of the tree 
of some service among negroes, in several cases where a tonic 
astringent injection was required, using it in cases of prolapsus 
uteri, where the organ became chafed and painful from exposure. 
The decoction of the bark, with sulphate of copper, is employed 
on the plantations to dye woollens of a green or black color, 
and for tanning leather. Hickory bark, with copperas, fur- 
nishes an olive color; maple gives a purple dye, the tea leaf 
(Hopea tinctoria) a yellow, and white oak a brown. Walnut 
leaves or roots, without copperas, repeatedly boiled, yield a 
black dye. Blacksmith's dust maybe used in place of copperas. 
The wood is not so durable as that of the Q.alba, but it is much 
used for domestic purposes. 

The following methods of making ink were furnished to Dr. 
Bachman by Mr. E. Euffin ; only native plants are required : 

Three different modes to make good Ink. — No. 1. Take one 
measure (or one handful of each half pint of ink intended to be 
made) of maple bark and as much of pine leaves, both fresh and 
previously and separately chopped to pieces of not more than 
half an inch long. Put them into an iron vessel and add two 
measures of water. Measure the then depth of the water and 
mark the height of surface on a pointed stick thrust to the 
bottom. Then add six more measures of water, (making eight 
in all.) Boil very slowly (or simmer) until three-fourths of the 
fluid has evaporated, which may be known by its then surface 
reaching the mark on the measuring stick. Then remove the 
vessel from the fire, and add, for every half pint of remaining 
fluid, one teaspoonful of copperas, as much sugar and a table- 
spoonful of vinegar — stir and let stand from twelve to twenty- 
four hours. Then strain the fluid (ink) from the solid refuse 
through a coarse cloth and bottle for use. 

No. 2. — First, make a strong infusion of the inner bark of red 
oak, by standing in water tvventj'-four hours, a handful of 



303 

chopped bark for each half pint of water. (Or, otherwise, make 
a decoction, by boiling an hour and evaporating to the same 
quantit}^ of water.) Decant the fluid and add about a tea- 
spoonful of copperas for every half pint of fluid and keep for the 
use next to be directed. 

Take of ripe elder berries four measures, in a washbasin. 
Mash them well in the hands. Put the mixture of pulp and 
fluid juice into an iron vessel. Measure the depth of the whole 
mass, as dii-ected for No. 1. Then add one measure of the before 
prepared infusion of red oak bark, and boil very slowly until 
evaporation has reduced the quantity of fluid to what it was at 
first of the mashed elder berries alone. Remove the pot from 
the fire. Put in a teaspoonful of copperas for every expected 
half pint of fluid, and let the mixture stand for twelve or twenty- 
four hours. Then strain through a coarse cloth, using strong 
pressure. Bottle the fluid for use. 

NcT. 3. — Fill an iron pot half full of white oak bark, (coarse or 
fine,) one-fourth full of red oak bark, and one-fourth full of maple 
bark. Fill the pot with water and boil slowly and for a long 
time. A teaspoonful of copperas will set it. Strain and bottle 
for use. 

To dye a Blue Color without Indigo. — Make a strong dye of red 
oak bark, another of maple bark, and have in a third vessel a 
weak copperas water, and in a fourth vessel a weak lye. Wet 
the cotton thoroughly in each vessel of dye and rinse it out in 
the order in which they are mentioned, having each fluid gis hot 
as the hand can bear, repeating the process until the color is 
sufficiently deej). By making the thread a deep copperas color 
first and then going through the process you can have a good 
black. 

Quercus montana, Willd. Rocky soils in the Alleghany Moun- 
tains of South Carolina. Used as a substitute for the above. 

LIVEOAK, (Quercus virens^ Alton.) Grows abundantly on 
the seacoast, for the space of sixty miles from the ocean ; New- 
bern. Fl. June. 

U. S. Disp. 581; Eberle, Mat. Med. i, 376. This tree is of 
quick growth, and attains a large size in South Carolina. Its 
great value for manufacturing purposes, ship-building, etc., is 
well known. It is often exported for these purjjoses, to great 
advantage. Its branches extend out to some distance, and it 



304 

affords one of our most venerable, magnificent, and ornamental 
shade trees, suited for avenues. The acorns are edible. 

Density of Wood. — I introduce the following under this 
species. Count Chaptal, in his Chemistry applied to Agricul- 
ture, makes the following remarks: "Soil, exposure, climate 
and season modify in a remarkable manner the fibre of vegeta- 
bles of the same kind. Vegetables raised in a dry and arid soil 
have a much harder and more compact texture than those of 
the same kind raised in a moist and rich soil; they have more 
perfume, contain a greater quantity of volatile oil, are decom- 
posed with more difiiculty, and during the combustion give out 
a much more intense heat. Every one knows that thickets 
having a southern exposure yield better fuel than those which 
lie toward the north ; the wood is more solid, and after having 
been cut, it will resist for a longer time the action of air and 
water. This fact was observed by Pliny, in regard to the 
woods of the Appenines." 

The difference between the hardness of trees growing in 
swamps and highlands is, I believe, referred to by Boussingault. 
The locality and the season of the year should have an influ- 
ence upon the tree, upon its structure, and secretions, and they 
should be considered, in reference to the growth of timber for 
ships, implements, etc. The best time for cutting wood is in 
the end of the winter, when the texture is hardened and con- 
densed by the cold. Boussingault, in his work on Sciei^tific 
Agriculture, describes a French method of preserving timber, 
superior to the Kyanized, by the absorption of the salts of iron. 
I would refer the curious reader to a paper, giving a most re- 
markable account of the enormous size and height of the trees, 
and the vegetable wonders of California, in Patent Office Re- 
ports, p. 4, 1851, by Wm. A. Williams. Trees sixty -eight feet in 
circumference, and three hundred and eighty feet in height, 
without a branch for two hundred and sixty feet ; vegetables 
relatively large. See Boussingault's work for similar state- 
ments. The general reader will find interesting references to 
such matters in Prof. O. W. Holmes' book, the *' Philosopher at 
the Breakfast Table;" also, paper in Patent Ofiice Reports on 
Agriculture, p. 655, 1851, by Thomas Eubank, Commissioner, 
containing extracts from writings of M. M. Naudin and Lecoq, 
(report to the French Academy,) on the taming of plants by 



305 

cultivation ; they "taraed every individual species of the fierce 
family of thistles," converting them into a savory vegetable. 

It is well known, says a writer in the Patent Ofiice Eeports, 
1852, p. 257, that the most valuable timber is that which has 
attained its growth with most light and air. The wagon- 
maker takes care to combine toughness and durability by 
selecting his wood from trees of second growth, or from trees 
of first growth that from infancy have stood alone, or far apart, 
I have ascertained, in conversation with machinists and wood- 
cutters, that they separate many species of useful trees into two 
varieties, and make careful selection in cutting for the shop. 

SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK, (Quercus prinus, L.) Vicinity of 
Charleston; Newbern. This may be used medicinally as a 
substitute for the Q. alba. 

CHESTNUT OAK, (Quercus castanea, W.) S. and N. C. 

This is said to be the best for tanning as it gives a bright 
appearance to the leather. The wood is soft and easy to split. 

COEK TREE, (Quercus suber.) Exotic. 

The Patent Office has distributed for years past seeds and 
plants of the cork tree. See Reports, 1854, p. 32, for mode of 
culture and gathering of cork; and article on "Properties and 
Uses of Cork Tree." Patent Office Reports, 1858, p. 335. 

Quercus. 

For method of raising acorn-bearing oaks, for feeding of hogs, 
varieties, etc., see Wilson's Rural Cyclop., art. "Acorn," "Oak." 
In some portions of England hogs are raised almost entirely 
upon acorns, and with but a limited supply of grain just before 
killing. " The farmers of Gloucestershire bestow nearly as 
much care upon the fruit of their oak trees as upon the produce 
of their orchards ; they seldom sell their acorns, yet usually 
estimate their value at from Is. 6d. to 2s. per bushel," etc. 
Wilson. See, also, Boutcher's "thoroughly practical" Treatise 
on Forest Trees. See Boussingault's Agricultural Chemistry, 
and Wilson's Rural Cyc, for method of preserving timber. 

BETULACEiE. (The Birch Tribe.) 

Bark astringent ; sometimes employed as a febrifuge. 
SWEET BIRCH; BLACK BIRCH; CHERRY BIRCH, 

(Betula lenta, L.) Mountain mahogany. Mountain ridges of 
S. and N. Carolina. 
20 



306 

U. S. Disp. 1233. The bark and leaves possess a very aro- 
matic flavor. An infusion of them is useful as an agreeable, 
gently stimulant, and diaphoretic drink. The oil, obtained by 
distillation from the bark, has been shown by Proctor to be 
similar to that of the Gaultheria procumbens. (See index.) It 
also affords a saccharine liquor. Am. Journal Pharm. xv, 243 ; 
Ell. Bot. ii, 617. The wood, possessing a fine grain, which is 
susceptible of a beautiful polish, is much used by cabinet- 
makers. It would be adapted to the fine work on railroad cars. 
Is the handsomest of the species, and has the finest timber. 
" The timber, when fresh cut, has a rosy tint, and afterward 
deepens in color by exposure. It has a fine, close grain, and is 
susceptible of a very high polish. It is used for sofas, arm- 
chairs, the frames of coach panels, and various other purposes." 
Wilson ; Michaux's Travels, etc. 

" The Sap of the Birch tree reddens turnsole intensely. It is 
colorless, and has a sweet taste. The water which forms u 
greater pai't of it holds in solution sugar, extractive matter, 
acetate of lime, acetate of alumina, and acetate of potash. 
When properly concentrated by evaporation, it ferments on the 
addition of yeast, and then yields alcohol on distillation. The 
presence of the acetate of alumina may appear extraordinary 
in the sap for this reason, that alumina has not yet been dis- 
covered in the ashes of the birch tree." Boussingault's Eural 
Econ. p. 65, ed. 1857. 

EED BIECH, (Betula nigra, Linn. B. rubra, Mx.) Vicinity 
of Charleston ; collected on the Santee Eiver, St. John's Berke- 
ley; Newbern. Fl. March. 

Ind. Bot. Dr. Green states that a strong decoction of the 
bark cured cases of putrid sore throat. It is useful also in 
pleurisy. Lindley says that the black birch of North America 
is one of the hardest and most valuable we possess. This 
might suit the purposes of the engi'aver, and in the construc- 
tion of any implements requiring wood of firm texture. We 
have also the j^ellow and the cherry birch. The shoots and the 
twigs of the B. lanulosa, or B. nigra, said by Wilson to grow in 
the Carolinas, are used for hoops, and " made into excellent 
street brooms." Its wood is compact, nearly white, and streaked 
longitudinally, and useful for various ecoi^gmical purposes. 
Consult " Alnus serrulata," 



307 

ALDER, (Alnus serrulata, Aiton.) Grows along rivulets, 
Charleston District; Richland; Newbern. Fl. April. 

U. S. Disp. 1224. The bark is astringent. N. Y. Journal 
Med. V. 7, 8. It had for a long time been neglected ; but in the 
article referi'ed to the decoction is spoken highly of as an altera- 
tive and astringent in scrofula and cutaneous diseases, and it is 
said to have been very successful in haematuria ; in these affec- 
tions producing beneficial results where all other means had 
failed. Shec, in his Flora Carol., spoke of the alder tags as 
being of great service on account of their alterative powers ; a 
decoction of the leaves has also been used to suppress hemorr- 
hage, and they have been found effectual in relieving dyspepsia 
and bowel complaints. An astringent decoction may be made 
of the bark, leaves, or tags — acting also as a diuretic. A tinc- 
ture may also be used. Poultices made of them are used as a 
local ajiplication to tumors, sprains, swellings, etc. The leaves 
arc applied externally to wounds and ulcers. The inner bark 
of the root is emetic, and it has been given in intermittents. 
It is used by tanners and dyers; the shoots, cut in March, will 
impart a cinnamon color to cloths and flannels. The black 
alder is used to color flannels : " Take the bark, boil it well, then 
skim or strain it well ; wet the cloth in a pretty strong lye and 
dip it into the alder liquor; let it remain till cool enough to 
wring, and it gives an indelible orange color." The wood does 
not absorb water easily, and is employed in making posts, and 
any structure liable to be submerged. The English Alnus (J.. 
glutinosa)- is planted along the side of water-courses, rivulets 
and sand-banks, to prevent the encroachment of water by the 
hardening and binding influence of the roots upon the soil, and 
also as a border to conceal unsightly or boggy lands. The 
wood is suited for pipes, pump-trees, and all kinds of subaque- 
ous wood-work, " where it will harden like a very stone," says 
an old writer ; now superseded, says Wilson, "for even these 
purposes by the Kyanized wood of more close grained trees." 
The wood of this is also used for various purposes of the 
turner, for the cogs of wheels, etc, "Charcoal made of its 
timber has long been highly valued for the manufacture of gun- 
powder." Wilson's Rural Cyclopoedia, art. Alnus. I do not 
know how closely our A. serrulata and A. viridis resemble the 
English tree. The bark of alders is astringent, and is used by 



308 

tanners and dyers; see Wilson. It is, in other words, rich in 
tannin. The birch, {Betula 7iigra, L.,) in fact all of our species, 
no doubt, contain a certain proportion of the gummy, oily sub- 
stance peculiar to the B. alba of England. The flowers of the 
latter are highly odoriferous, and the oil is collected. Tlie bark 
is also used by the tanner. Kussia skins are said to be tanned 
with it, hence the peculiar odor. Our species of birch may no 
doubt be used for similar purposes. I have little doubt, in con- 
sideration of the possession of an astringent and oily, resinous 
principle, that a tincture of the catkins would serve as an ex- 
cellent astringent, stimulating diuretic, to be used in gleet, gon- 
orrhoea, and in chronic diseases of the genito-urinary apparatus. 
Birch wine is also made in England from the sap of the birch. 
The papery sheets of birch bark were used as a writing material. 

URTICACE.E. {The Nettle Tribe?) 

DWARF STINGING NETTLE, {Urtica wens, L.) Intro- 
duced. Grows around Beaufort; collected in Fairfield District; 
Ell. says at St. Mary's, Georgia; vicinity of Charleston ; N. C. 
Fl. February. 

Murray's App. Med. iv, 592 ; Bull. Plantes, Ven. de France, 
170. It causes an excessive discharge of urine, and Serapion 
said that thirty grains of it would purge. In the Supplement 
to the Diet, de Mat. Med. by Mer. and de L., 1846, p. 719, we 
have an account of the remarkable haemostatic virtues of this 
and the U. dioica, also found in South Carolina. It had origi- 
nally obtained some favor in this respect, and was used by 
Sydenham, but had for a long time fallen into disrepute. It 
has been reserved for M. Guinestet to restore the public confi- 
dence in it; and it is now spoken favorably of by Chomel, Lange 
and Desbois. Guinestet advises it in hemorrhage, and reports 
five cases of uterine hemorrhage in which bleeding was in- 
stantly arrested; two to four ounces of the juice were given, 
taken internally and in the form of injection. It has also been 
successfully employed in spitting of blood and epistaxis, and 
cases of two months duration were cured. The objections of 
others who were not &o successful have been satisfactorily an- 
swered, its pretended therapeutic action being denied by Drs. 
Kasciakewies and Fiard, who report a case of poisoning from 



309 

the internal use of two ounces of the concentrated decoction. 
The supporters have produced well sustained arguments de- 
stroying the force of these statements ; and Merat himself speaks 
favorably of it in an official report made to the Academy, and 
published in the Bull, de Therap.; he furnishes a case of nasal 
hemorrhage, occurring in a girl who was giving birth to a child, 
and who was at the same time flooding, both of which he suc- 
ceeded in arresting with the juice of this plant, when every- 
thing else had failed. Many others have used it with very 
favorable results in this and in leucorrhcea. " Sperons," adds 
the author of the Diet, de M. Med., " que I'experience con- 
firmera cos heureux resultats." See Amusat's, Chevalier's and 
Merat's Eapport " sur I'emploi du sue d'ortie corame antihem- 
orragique," made in 1846, in the Bull, de I'Acad. Eoyale de 
Med. ix, 1015. Dr. Menicucci, of Kome, introduces into the 
vagina a sponge soaked in the juice ; and it may be at the same 
time administered internally. See Abeilhe Medicale, Mai, 1846. 
M. Guinestet attributes its haemostatic virtues to a constituent 
which coagulates milk in the same way that poisons do. See a 
letter of Merat, relating a case of uterine hemorrhage existing 
for two months, which was cured by the juice of the U. dioica 
(in French.) Idem, x, 364, 1845; Mer. and de L. vi, 875; Jour- 
nal de Med. vi, 492. By analysis, it contains a carbonate, am- 
monia, chlorophyl, mucus, black coloring matter, gallic acid, 
tannin and nitrate of potash, less abundant than in the U. dioica, 
(which see.) 

Induced by these notices to test it myself, I succeeded in ob- 
taining a quantity of the U. wens from Fairfield District, S. C. 
Assisted by Dr. E. A. Kinloch, of Charleston, I proceeded to ex- 
pose and divide the right common carotid arteries of two sheep, 
upon the bleeding orifices of which was applied lint covered with 
a sponge soaked in the cold infusion and the decoction respect- 
ively. The results were as follows : the first died from im- 
proper manipulation ; in the second, the bleeding ceased en- 
tirely — the animal was killed, however, a short time afterward. 
The juice of the plant seemed to have some effect in coagula- 
ting fresh blood poured out into the hand. Upon giving the 
cold infusion, made with two ounces of the plant to a pint of 
water, in doses of a wincglassful four times a day, to a patient 
affected with chronic hsematuria, who had used tannin, gallic 



310 

acid, and the infusion of buchu ineffectually, she confessed 
having derived decided relief from it, but complained of its 
having brought out an eruption over the body. The experi- 
ments in both cases are obviously too meagre to enable me to 
pronounce positively as to the amount of power the plant 
possesses. Dr. W. B. Johnson, of Marion, Ala., has found this 
plant very eflficacious in uterine hemorrhage. U. S. Disp. from 
N. O. Med. and Surg. J. vi, 452. The irritant effect of the 
nettle applied to the skin is said to be owing to the presence of 
free formic acid in the sharp hairs. U. S. Disp., 12th Ed., from 
Am. J. Pharm. xxii, 181. Celsus employed the Urtica in para- 
lysis. De Ke Medica, 1. iii, 27 ; Bull. des. Sei. Med. ix, 77. Flag- 
ellation with the branches, which, it is well known, contain 
stings which produce great irritation, followed by inflammation, 
has been recommended for bringing out cutaneous and febrile 
eruptions, as in scarlatina, in apoplexy, in insensibility of organs, 
in poisoning by opium, in chronic rheumatism, and in fact where- 
ever a powerful external stimulating revulsive is required. For 
this purpose it has even been employed in the algid period of 
incurable cholera morbus. Dr. Marchand, Seance de I'Acad. 
Koy. de Med. ii, July, 1832 ; J. Stevoght, Diss, de Urtica, 1707 ; 
J. Francus, Tractatus Singularis de Urtica Urente, etc. Dilleng, 
1726. Both this and the U. dioica are found in the Southern 
States, and I would invite further and particular examination 
into properties which are of so valuable a description. I observe 
no notice of these experiments in the American works. The 
minute structure of the sting is said to be very curious. 

COMMON OE EED DEAD NETTLE, {^Urtica dioica, L.) 
Grows along roads and fences ; vicinit}^ of Charleston. Fl. Aug. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 338. It is applied extensively as a 
stimulating and anti-septic astringent and detersive, the herb 
and seed being used ; the decoction is also alluded to in this 
work as being used in hemorrhage, bloody urine, etc. Urtica- 
tion with this also was employed in rheumatism, paralysis, 
etc. (Sec U. urens.) The root is advised in jaundice and 
nephritic diseases. Fl. Scotica, 57. A rennet was made with a 
strong decoction. One quart of salt was added to three pints of 
the decoction, and boiled for use, a spoonful of which was suffi- 
cient to coagulate a large quantity of milk. Stearns,- in the Am. 
Herbal. 136, refers to its use in jaundice, nephritic disorders, and 



311 

in hemorrhage. "The juice snuffed up the nose stops bleeding, 
and a leaf put on the tongue, and pressed against the roof of 
the mouth, will answer the same purpose." Thornton's Fam. 
Herbal. Linnaeus, in his Veg. Mat. Med. 511, alludes to its em- 
ployment in hemorrhage ; it was considered lithontripic and em- 
menagogue, and adapted to those in whom the hemorrhagic 
diathesis prevailed; all of which opinions I quote, as coming 
from old authors. "Steel dipped in the juice becomes more 
flexible." The seeds produce an oil, which, taken in moderate 
quantities, excites the system, especially ^Hes plaisirs de I'arnour." 
Twenty or thirty grains of these induce vomiting, and a few of 
them, taken daily, are said to reduce excessive corpulency. Mer. 
and de L. Diet. de. M. Med. vi, 613. By Salladin's analysis, in 
Journal de Chim. Med. vi, 492, the plant contains nitrate of 
lime, hydrochlorate of soda, phosph. potash, acetate of lime, lig- 
neous matter, with silicate and oxalate of iron. Pallas, Voyage, 
i, 700; Gmelin, Flora Siberica, ii; Mathiole, Comm. 560. It is 
said that animals which feed on the plant become both fatter 
and stronger. Mem. de Hserlem, xxvi. The stalks have a fibre 
like hemp, and have been employed for making cordage ; the 
root boiled in alum will dye a yellow color. See Hooke's Mi- 
croscop. Bissrxxit, 12, and Guettard, Mem. de I'Acad. des Sci. de 
Paris, 1751, 350, for a description of the structure of the sting, 
and the Petersburg Journal, 1778, 370, for a notice of the value 
of the stalks in making ropes and paper. The U. S. Disp., 1303, 
barely notices the plant. Late experiments may have escaped 
the attention of its indefatigable authors. 

The nettle plants are known to be closely allied to those bear- 
ing textile fibres, and indeed thread can be made from all the 
netiles. Experiments may be made in the Southern States upon 
the yield of fibre from the Urtica urens and dioica, which grows 
spontaneously. Boiling in alkaline solutions and lime water is 
used in the preparation of such plants. See next article, 
Eamie; also, ^'Apocyniim." 

The common nettle, remarks Mr. Lawson, who ranks it with 
flax, hemp, cotton, phormium and other fibre-yielding economical 
plants, has been long known as affording a large proportion of 
fibre, which has not only been made into ropes and cordage, but 
also into sewing thread and beautiful white linen-like cloth of 
superior quality. The fibre, he adds, is easily separated from 



312 

other parts of the stalk, without their undergoing the processes 
of watering and bleaching, although by such the labor necessary 
for that purpose is considerably lessened. Like those of many 
other common plants, the superior merits of this generally ac- 
counted troublesome weed have hitherto been much over- 
looked—quoted by Wilson in Eural Cyc. It is stated that the 
roots possess astringent and diuretic properties, and have been 
found serviceable in poultices for tumors and decoctions for 
other complaints. The leaves, chopped up with meal or with 
boiled potatoes, are used for feeding ducklings, young turkeys 
and full grown poultry, especially in winter, and are said to pro- 
mote the laying of eggs. Nettles are sometimes boiled and 
eaten in the manner of greens. Laborers use the young tops 
of nettles as a pleasant, nourishing and mildly aperient potherb, 
either in soups or in accompaniment with salt beef or pork. 
Eural Cyc. 

In China they use the Neilgherry Nettle called, also, "vegeta- 
ble wool," Urtica heterophylla, in the manufacture of coarse, stiff 
fabrics. It possesses a bright stiffness like coarse mohair, and is 
capable of being dyed. The bark of the young wood steeped in 
water, renders easy the separation of the fibre. P. O. Eep. 
Agricult., 1867. 

EAMIE, CHINA GEASS, (Boehmeria tenacissima, Boehmeria 
nivea.) 

This, sometimes spoken of as a Mexican plant, is a native of 
China and Japan, and belongs to the Nettle family, (order 
Urticacece,) which has markedly strong fibres. It has been 
highly recommended as a substitute for Cotton, and successfully 
used in the manufacture of cambrics and other fine stuffs. No 
mention of it is made by Merat, Grifiith or other writers whom 
I have consulted. 

Some years since a new substitute for cotton was thus referred 
to by a Paris correspondent: "Great excitement prevails in 
those manufacturing districts of France where cotton is most 
used, on account of the discovery of a substitute for it. This is 
the China grass or white Urtica, (nettle weed,) which maj^ be 
cultivated cheaply in all parts of France. The experiments 
with this new textile fibre have been going on for a year or 
more under the direction of a competent committee appointed 
by the Chumber of Commerce of Eouen. And this committee. 



313 

with the weed, the raw fibre, and various specimens of woven 
and colored and uncolored clothes in hand, have shown to the 
Chamber, beyond all question, that the substitute is a genuine 
one in every point. They declare, without reservation, that 
none of the qualities of cotton are wanting." 

I obtain the following from one of the journals of the day : 
" The Mexican plant, which is spoken of of late, as possibly a 
rival to the cotton plant, is slowly making itself known to the 
world of commerce. In New Orleans the Ramie fibre is begin- 
ning to become an article of trade, and a demand for the fibre 
is also springing up in the West. Of the merits of Ramie, it is 
stated to be as good as linen cambric or silk." 

Another journal, (1868,) mentions that " at an agricultural 
fair recently held in Alabama, it was one of the special features 
of the exhibition. Its fibres are said to be much finer and 
stronger than the best flax; that they are as fine as sea island 
cotton, and that, after cleansing, they become very soft and 
white, and take colors as readily as the finest wool or silk. 
Several articles of clothing made from this fabric were exhibited 
at the fair referred to, and were particularly noticed for the 
strength and beauty of the material. Its cultivation has been 
successful on a number of plantations in Alabama. 

"Since its introduction into the United States in March, 
1867, the Ramie has excited much interest among European 
manufacturers. The supply from the East is entirely inadequate 
to fill the demand, and unequal to the fibre here produced in 
quality; thej' are, therefore, very desirous of seeing it success- 
fully cultivated in some country where the yield will bo large 
and regular. The soil and climate of the Southern States are 
particularly adapted for the cultivation of Ramie* which requires 
a loose, sandy soil and temperate climate. In any of the Cotton 
States Ramie can be harvested at least three times a year; each 
harvest or cutting will produce between nine and twelve hun- 
dred pounds, making an average annual crop of about three 
thousand pounds of crude unprepared fibre, worth at present in 
Europe ten cents specie per pound; in preparing the fibre for 
manufacturing purposes it loses about one-half, and increases in 
value to sixty-five cents per pound. The fibre, when prepared 
for the spinner, is beautifully white, soft and glossy, closely re- 
sembling floss silk in appearance; it is much stronger than the 



314 

best flax, and readily receives the most difficult dyes without in- 
jury to its strength or lustre," 

Mr. F. T. Knapp, who has an extensive plantation of it in St. 
Bernard's Parish, La., thinks it best in its propagation : " To bed 
up the earth in beds of about five or six feet width, and to mat- 
lay the stalks, when mature, in two rows, a foot apart, and to 
save the roots for sale. The stalks are laid longitudinally, lap- 
ping one another part of the way, and, by having two rows, if 
some miss in one row, the probability is that others will come up 
in the other row, so as to make it continuous in the beds. 
When these plants come up and mature, the first growth reach- 
ing about two and a half feet, he will layer them down, and 
thus have the whole bed grow up thick and high, like that we 
have just described. 

"Of the productiveness of the Eamie there can be no doubt, 
nor of its thorough security and safety in this climate and as 
far north as Tennessee. The fibre can be cleansed and prepared 
as readily as that of hemp or linen, and as it is equal to the 
latter in fineness, and far superior to it in lustre, almost equalling 
silk, there can be no doubt that it will soon take the lead of 
cotton in the world's market." 

I obtain a recent account of the Cultivation, etc., of this plant: 

The Ramie Plant. — The ramie, standing single, is inclined to 
make many side-shoots or laterals, which is especially the case 
the first season. As soon as it has been once or twice cut down, 
close to or rather about one inch under the ground, and the 
roots have become stronger, a large number of ratoons will 
sprout from the roots and bulbouns, and few or no side-shoots 
will show themselves. The shoots or ratoons from the roots 
will stand close and push each other up. These close standing 
shoots contain the best fibre ; they are hollow, almost as much 
so as cane. As soon as the fibre has the proper strength the 
stem begins to color a little darker near the ground. The size 
which the plants reach in a certain time varies according to 
richness and kind of soil, as well as weather and mode of culti- 
vation. As a general rule it may be said as soon as the stems 
have reached a little more than four feet, the fibre will be of 
good quality, but does not get hurt if left uncut till it reaches 
eight to ten feet in length. 

Culture. — It cannot be too much recommended to have the 



315 

piece of land intended for the ramie deeply cultivated ; sub- 
soiled to fourteen inches would not be too deep, and this is the 
most laborious work in the whole cultivation. The first year 
weeds have to be cut out, but this will give but little trouble. 
The second year the plant will have so many ratoons that other 
plants will have no room to vegetate. From this time the culti- 
vation will give very little trouble, except one plowing be- 
tween the rows early in the spring and after each cutting, and 
manure over the fields during the winter season. The field 
ought to be laid x)ff in pieces of about twenty rows in width, 
and a passage left for a cart or wagon. The rows ought to be 
about four feet apart, and the plants in the rows half that dis- 
tance. When the field is ready for planting, a furrow is made 
every four feet, about three to four inches deep, and in these 
furrows the plants are placed, with little more care than negroes 
plant sweet potatoes. The furrows ought to be made so that 
the rain will not stand too long, yet all heavy washing ought to 
be prevented. Eooted plants as well as layers ought to be 
covered with earth nearly to the top; roots ought to be covered 
with earth two or three inches deep. In case some plants or 
roots should not grow, the vacancies should be filled as soon as 
possible, and always the best plants taken for this purpose, so as 
to get an even growing field. As soon as the plants have 
reached seven to eight inches in height, they should be topped 
(as in the nursery) to force out side-shoots. When these latter 
are grown to about five or six inches in length, the plant has a 
kind of bushy appearance; then the plant is hilled nearly to the 
top. It is now left to grow until it has reached nearly the 
height of three feet, when it is cut down even with the ground, 
or better, one inch below. The fibre of this first growth can be 
used, but is not perfect yet, because the roots and bulbs are not 
lai'ge enough, and there are as yet too many side-shoots. 

A few days after this cutting, a great many ratoons will make 
their appearance on the surface. The whole work now consists 
in keeping out all weeds. The second growth will be, under 
similar circumstances, a great deal more rapid than the first 
was and can be cut when about four feet high ; each growth 
will have fewer side-shoots and soon they will disappear alto- 
gether. The planting in the field ought to be done in the spring 
but can be continued until the beginning of September. Those 



316 

which are planted late should be covered in winter with straw 
or leaves, because they are too young and tender to resist se- 
vere frosts. Those planted early in spring and summer do not 
need any protection, as they will make roots eighteen to twenty- 
four inches deep. All refuse matter falling off in cleaning the 
fibre ought to be fed or cured and put in the barn for winter 
use. All the manure coming from the plant ought to be care- 
fully gathered and put back on the field. In this way, such a 
field will give a rich return for many years without need of 
being replanted. The experience in regard to soil is yet limited, 
but it is certain that a rich sandy loam suits the plant very 
well. The plant can be grown so far north as the earth does 
not freeze more than four inches deep in winter. The best por- 
tions of this country will be the southern part of Texas, and the 
States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Caro- 
lina and Florida. 

Use of the Ramie. — The ramie is useful in two ways. It con- 
tains, first, a silk-like fibre of uncommon strength and fineness; 
and, second, the refuse furnishes an excellent food for stock, 
which in quantity compai'es favorably with clover. The fibre 
will not only replace the cotton, but is bound to be a strong 
rival to flax. In strength its fibre is nearest to silk, and as soon 
as there is a little more experience and intelligence brought 
into requisition, by the cultivation and manufacture of the tex- 
tile, it will be found to be the best substitute for silk. 

Suppose this plant to have none of this useful fibre, its culti- 
vation would be of immense value as food for stock, in a great 
many portions of the South. Another most important point in 
introducing the ramie here, is its easy cultivation. The first 
year it requires no more work than sweet potatoes, and then 
the main work is in harvesting. The quantity of fibre will be 
more and the price double that of cotton. 

In case a field should be plowed up after a series of years 
for some other purpose, then the roots and bulbs will make ex- 
cellent food for hogs, or can be manufactured into a durable 
dye. 

The fences have to be kept in good order, because if cows and 
hogs are once accustomed to it, they will break down a poor 
fence to get to it. During the winter cows can be turned into 
ramie fields, but hogs and horses should be kept out. So far 



317 

this plant has no destructive enemies. The so-called nettle 
worm makes its appearance some seasons, but never hurts the 
fibre ; it is satisfied with the lower leaves of the plant, and is in 
this wa}' harmless. Besides, if they were as destructive as the 
cotton worm they could not injure the crop very much, as each 
cutting is matured in a very short period of time. 

The plants attain a height of twelve feet and grow very 
thickly together. I have examined specimens of the fibre 
which were several feet in length — white, glossy and fine. In 
the Patent Office Rep., 244, 1855, is an account of its value for 
manufacturing purposes, with a reference to Dr. J. F. Royle and 
Dr. Roxburgh's Treatises on the Oriental Fibres. Dr. Royle 
says that the China grass cloth is made from this plant and that 
the fibre has sold in England at from £80 to £120 a ton. 

In an article in P. O. Rep. Agricult., 1867, it is stated that the 
B. cq/idicans is also used. The plants have been raised in 
Washington from the seeds, which should be protected from the 
sun. 

LOW NETTLE, (Pitcea pumila, Gray. Urtica piimila, L.) 
Grows in wet soils, vicinity of Charleston; Richland; Fla. Fl. 
Sept. 

Griffith, Med. Bot., 572. This is quite smooth ; is said to be 
an excellent application to inflamed parts, and to relieve the 
eruption caused by the Rhus. Griffith invites further investi- 
gation. 

PELTITORY, {Parietaria Pennsylvanica, Muhl.) Growing 
in the upper districts of S. and N. C; with P. debilis, Forst, and 
P. Floridana, Nutt, growing in Fla., should be examined for the 
possession of sulphur, as some species are said to contain more 
sulphur than any other plants, Planche, Journ. de Pharm. viii, 
367; Griffith. 

HEMP, {Cannabis sativa.') Ex. Nat. Cultivated in the upper 
districts. 

The value of this plant for manufacturing purposes, for 
making ropes and cordage, is well known. It may become a 
most important question whether or not we can raise it in the 
Atlantic States with as much profit as in Kentucky, or to repay 
the labor bestowed upon it. I have not been able to ascertain 
whether the juice of the plant, as cultivated here, possesses the 



318 

intoxicating properties of the East India species, (C. Indica,) 
though it has been asserted that "water in which it is soaked 
becomes violently poisonous." See a paper in Patent Office 
Reports, 1848, p. 574, from the Louisville Journal, containing a 
full description of varieties, mode of production, and prepara- 
tion of hemp. Count Chaptal says, in his Chemistry applied 
to Agriculture, that M. Proust had determined, after numerous 
experiments, that the stalk of hemp furnished the best charcoal 
for the manufacture of gunpowder — better than the willow. 
From the seeds is extracted an oil, generally emplo^^ed by 
painters. The fine oil obtained from the seeds is peculiarly 
adapted for burning in chambers, as it is perfectly limpid, and 
possesses no smell. The Russians and Poles, even of the higher 
class, bruise or roast the seeds, mix them with salt, and eat 
them on bread. It expels vermin from plantations of cabbages 
if planted on the borders of fields ; if planted with that vege- 
table, no caterpillar will infest it. Willich's Dom. Enc. The 
seeds may be sown in April or May, from two to three bushels 
per acre, either broadcast, and hoeing out the plants to a dis- 
tance of sixteen or seventeen inches, or by the drill, at a dis- 
tance of thirt}' inches. In the autumn the plants are pulled, 
the male plants first, and the female plants six or seven weeks 
afterward, when they have ripened their seed. Thus there are 
two harvests of the hemp crop. The male plants are readily 
known by their faded flowers, and yellowish color. They are 
then tied in small bundles and carried to the pool, where they 
are to be steeped. Hemp, like flax, poisons the water in which 
it is steeped. The same process is followed when the female 
plants are pulled ; only these, before they are steeped, have 
their seeds beaten out. 

The process of steeping commonly lasts four or five daj'S, and 
is continued until the outside coat of the hemp readil}' sepa- 
rates. It is then carefully and evenly spread on some grass 
turf, where it remains for three or four weeks, being turned 
over about twice every week, by which the decomposition of 
the woody part of the stem is materially accelerated. It is 
next carried to the barn, where it is bruised by the brake, a 
machine constructed for the purpose ; it is then bound up into 
bundles, and carried to market. (Low's Prac. Agr. p. 348.) 
There is a paper on a species of African hemp by Mr. A. Hunter, 



319 

(Trans. High. Soc. vol. iii, p. 87;) others on the cultivation of- 
hemp in America, by Mr. W. Tonge, (Ann. of Agr. vol. xxiii, 
p. 1 ;) in Italy, (ibid. vol. xvi, p. 439, and vol. ii, p. 216,) and in 
Catalonia. (Ibid. vol. viii, p. 243.) It seems that 100 parts of 
Indian hemp-seed yield 20 to 25 per cent, of oil. (Cora. Agr. 
Asiat. Soc. 1838, p. 69.) See flax. 

Among our native substitutes for hemp are the Apocynum 
cannabinum ; the Canada Golden Rod, {Solidago canadensis,) L., 
{S. procera, of Ell.;) the Sunflower (Helianthus) affords single 
filaments, which are said to be as thick and as strong as small 
packthread ; also our JEsclepias Syriaca, Urtica dioica and 
Yucca filamentosa or \)C2iV-gYSi^&. See these plants. Elliott eays 
that bear-grass possesses the strongest fibre of any vegetable 
whatsoever. Its roots are extensive, and bear transplanting. 
See Prep, of Hemp, Farmer's Encyc. See, also, files of the 
Kentucky Farmer. Paper is made of waste hemp, whitened. 
The seeds afford an oil, which, boiled in milk, is recommended 
against coughs, and is also said to be useful in incontinence of 
urine. In India an intoxicating liquor is made from the leaves, 
resembling opium in its eff'ects. 

HOP, (Humulus hqouliis, L.) Grows in the mountains of 
South Carolina (Dr. McBride) and on the Mississippi, and gen- 
erally cultivated in Southern States, 

Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 185 ; Chap. Therap. and Mat. Med. 
i, 348, and ii, 455; Eb. M. Med. ii, 55; U. S. Disp. 374; Big. 
Am. Med. Bot. ii, 163; Freake, Med. Phys. Joui-nal, xiii, 432; 
Thompson's Lond. Disp. 200; Bigsby, Lond. Med. Repos. v, 97; 
Bryorly's Inaug. Diss. Phil. An. 1803 ; Ives in Silliman's Jour- 
nal, ii, 302; Thornton's Fam. Herbal. 820. This plant is cer- 
tainly possessed of some narcotic power. According to Dr. 
Latham, an infusion of it is a good substitute for laudanum. It 
is employed in doses of one and a half drachms in allaying the 
distressing symptoms of phthisis. It augments the secretions, 
removes pain and irritability, and induces sleep. Dr. Maton, 
Fell. Roy. Soc. Coll. Phys., says that large doses produce head- 
ache. It is thought to be a specific in removing asthmatic 
pains, without increasing the secretions. Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. iii, 544; Pliny, lib. xxi, c. 15; Flore Med. iv, 196. 
It is given with good eff'ect as a stomachic, in inappetency and 
weakness of the digestive organs. Mat. Med. Indica. 120; Bull. 



320 

des. Sci. Med. xvi, 145 ; Journal des Sci. Med. xli, 376 ; Edinb. 
Journal, iv, 23 ; Diss. Medici de Humuli medici viribus medicis, 
Edinb. 1803; Bromelius, "Lupulogia," Stockholm, 1687; Obs. 
of Freake on the Hop, Lond. Lupulin, obtained from it, is said 
to diminish the force of the pulse. See Journal de Chim. Med. 
ii, 527; Journal de Pharm. viii, 228 and 330. In the Supplem. 
to M. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 184:6, a case is reported of a 
girl being poisoned by tbe hop. Rev. Scientifique, Mars, 1845 ; 
Journal de Pharm. Mars, 1842. Much use is made of the hop 
poultice in allaying pain, applied over the part. Its domestic 
value in preparing the liquor known as yeast is obvious, as well 
as for other purposes where fermentation is to be established 
in the manufacture of many alcoholic drinks and malt liquors. 
The medicinal properties of the hop are said to depend upon 
the Inpulin, a peculiar resinous secretion contained in the glands, 
which is obtained by threshing and sifting the strobiles. By 
analysis it consists of volatile oil, bitter principle, or lupulin, 
resin, etc.; when administered internally, this has all the good 
effects of the hop; given in pill, in doses of six to ten grains, 
or in tincture in those of a half to one drachm ; and it may also 
be added to poultices, ointments, etc. Ives' Experiments; Grif- 
tifth, Med. Bot. 574. The tincture of lupulin is said to be pref- 
erable; dose, one to two fluid drachms. The uses of the hop 
pillow and the tincture of hops, as sedatives and mild narcot- 
ics, are well known ; but for the medicinal application consult 
the various works on the Materia Medica. 

The Patent Office Eep. 280, 1857, contains a very full treatise 
on the hop, condensed from various sources — an analysis of the 
plant, the best mode of cultivation, gathering, etc. As the 
raising of the hop is of great importance, I would refer culti- 
vators to this article. It is said to be one of the very most 
exhausting among cultivated plants, both in respect to the or- 
ganic and mineral constituents which it extracts from the soil; 
so that valleys containing the debris of the surrounding country 
should be selected. See, also, Wilson's Rural Cyc, art. " Hop," 
" Beer," " Ale." His account of cultivation, diseases, etc., of 
the hop is full and instructive. The stem of the hop contains a 
fibre like hemp, which is used in making a strong white cloth 
in Sweden, though it requires long steeping to separate the 
fibre. The hop plant is rich in tannin, and has been used for 



321 

tanning: the ash yields 25. of potash, 15. of lime, magnesia, 
salt, etc. The suckers of the hop are said to form an agreeable 
vegetable for the table when dressed like asparagus. Honey- 
dew is frequent on hop plants from the perforations of the 
aphis. It is said to be veiy abundant on cotton plants. 

An article also on the cultivation of the hop can be found in 
Patent Office Eeports, 1854, p. 354. 

I quote from the paper mentioned above as follows, as I con- 
sider information on this topic important : 

The hop is a perennial plant of easy cultivation, and will 
grow in any part of the Western States. Its domestic uses are 
so obvious, that no farm or garden should be without one or 
more roots. It requires a rich, deep, mellow soil, with a dry, 
pervious, or rocky sub-soil. The exposure in a Northern climate 
should be toward the south, as on the slope of a hill, or in any 
well sheltered valley. It may be propagated by seeds, or by 
divisions of the roots ; but it is more usual to plant the young 
shoots which rise from the bottom of the stems of old plants. 
These are laid down in the earth till they strike, when they 
are cut off and planted in a nursery bed. Care must be taken 
to have only one sort of hops in the same plat or field, in order 
that they may all ripen at the same time. The ground having 
been prepared for planting, it is divided by parallel lines six 
feet apart, and short sticks are inserted into the ground along 
the lines at seven feet distance from each other, and so as to 
alternate the rows, as is frequently done with fruit trees and 
other plants, in what is called the " Quincunx form." By this 
method every plant will be just seven feet from each of its 
neighbors, although the rows will be only six feet apart, and 
consequentl}^ about one-eighth of land will be actually saved, as 

indicated in the diagram below: 

***** 



At each stick a hole may be dug two feet square and two feet 
deep, and lightly filled with the earth dug out, mixed with a 
compost prepared with well rotted dung, lime and muck. Fresh 
dung should never be applied to hops. Three plants are next 
placed in the middle of this hole six inches asunder, forming an 
equilateral triangle. A watering with liquid manure will greatly 
21 



322 

assist their taking root, and they will soon begin to show "vines." 
Sticks three or four feet loog are then stuck in the middle of 
the three plants and the vines are tied to them with twine or 
bass, till they lay hold and twine around them. During their 
growth the ground should be well hoed and forked up around 
the roots, and some of the fine mould thrown around the stems. 
In favorable seasons a few hops may be picked from these young 
plants in autumn, but in general there is nothing the first year. 
Late in autumn the ground may be carefully dug with a spade, 
and the earth turned toward the plants, to remain during the 
winter. Early in spring the second year the hillocks around 
the plants should be opened, and the roots examined. The last 
year's shoots are then cut oif within an inch of the main stem, 
and all the suckers quite close to it. The latter forms an agree- 
able vegetable for the table when dressed like asparagus. The 
earth is next pressed round the roots, and the parts covered so 
as to exclude the air. A pole about twelve feet long is then 
firmly stuck into the ground near the plants; to this the vines 
are led, and tied as they shoot, until they have taken hold of it. 
If by accident a vine leaves the pole it should be carefully 
brought back to it, and tied until it takes new hold. 

Mr. J. J. Bennett, of New York, says : "The manner in which 
I cultivate hops is as follows : After plowing the ground in- 
tended for hops, I use about ten loads of leached ashes per acre 
for a top-dressing, after which it should be well harrowed. The 
rows should be eight feet apart and the hills seven feet apart. 
In setting, a line is used with marks indicating the distance be- 
tween the hills. After the line is drawn, small sticks are set to 
each mark. Eoots ai'e to be cut, two joints on each piece, three 
pieces to the hill; cover about two inches. The ground may be 
planted with corn the first year, as the hops will not run until 
the second. It should be sown the first of May in drills three 
and one-half feet apart ; sow with seed-drill. The first year 
corn may be raised ; plant one foot from the teasel row. I weed 
them twice the first year ; the second year they are to be culti- 
vated and hoed twice. The first of August I cut such as are 
ripe, which will be known by the shedding of the blossoms. I 
cut at four diff'erent times, the stems to be about four inches 
long. They are to be spread on shelves about eight inches deep, 
one tier above another, Thei'e should be a good circulation of 



323 

air, that they may cure well. I paid for cultivating five acres 
forty-two dollars ; paid for harvesting eighty-five dollars." See 
a full description of hops, mode of cultivation, preparations, 
adulterations, etc., in Johnson's Chemistry of Common Life, 
vol. ii, p. 36 ; also Ure's Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures, 
articles "Hop," "Ale," "Beer," etc. Consult Pereira's Mat. 
Medica, Chaptal's Chemistry applied to Agriculture, Boussin- 
gault's Treatise on Agriculture in its relations with Chemistry, 
andThaer's Agriculture for mode of planting, preparation, etc. 
See, also, Phillips' History of Cultivated Yegetables. 

The great importance of cultivating this plant on a large 
scale for manufacture of yeast should be impressed upon the 
people. The mode of making hop Beer is as follows : For a half 
barrel of beer, take half a pound of hops, and half a gallon of 
molasses. The latter must be poured by itself into the casks. 
Boil ^he hops, adding to them a teacupful of powdered ginger 
in about a pailful and a half of water; that is, a quantitj^ suf- 
ficient to extract the virtue of the hops. When sufficiently 
brewed, put it up warm into the cask, shaking it well in order 
to mix it with the molasses. Then fill it up with water quite 
up to the bung, which must be left open, to allow it to work. 
You must be careful to keep it constantly filled up with water 
whenever it works over. When sufficiently worked it may be 
bottled, adding a spoonful of molasses to each bottle. Thorn- 
ton's Southern Gardener. 

Ale and beer can be made in the Southern States, though not 
with the same advantage as in colder climates. Though without 
practical experience, I am forced to the conviction that the de- 
sideratum is cool cellars. In the rural districts what are called 
dry cellars are constructed in the clay, just above the water- 
bearing stratum, the top enclosed or covered with a closed house. 
The temperature of these cellai's is quite low, and they are used 
in keeping milk, butter, melons, cider, etc. I think their tem- 
perature would allow the manufacture and preservation of 
either wine, ale or beer. Ale has been made near Charleston, 
at Mount Pleasant ; but to prevent fermentation, cellars are re- 
quired. The reader interested in the subject can find a descrip- 
tion of the English method of making malt liquors in Ure's Dic- 
tionary of Arts and Manufactures, in Wilson's Eural Cyclo- 
poedia, (art. "Ale,") in Solly's Rural Chemistry, p. 178, see art. 



:v>4 

"Fermentation and Distillation;" also Thornton's Family 
Herbal. ''Mentha," p. 565, Child, on Brewing, and Corabriine's 
Theory and Practice of Brewing. In England they use Gen- 
tiana lutea, purpurea and rubra as substitutes for hops. Consult 
this volume, art. "Persimmon," {^JDiospyros,) "Sassafras," {Lau- 
rus,) " Blackberry " and "Cherry," (Cerasus,) "Apple," {Pyrus,) 
for liquors. 

MULBERRY, (Morus alba, L.) Nat. Diffused ; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. March. 

Bell's Pract. Diet. 319 ; U. S. Disp. 463 ; Dem. Elem. de Bot. 
The root is bitter and very astringent, and is useful in relaxed 
states of the bowels, diarrbcea, etc. Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 186. 
It contains 7nyroxyJ)C acid Avith lime. Turner, 640. See analysis 
in the Joarnal de Chim. Med. x, 676. The bark is a purgative 
vermifuge, but is more important on account of" the leaves being 
the favorite food of the silk-woi-m." That this plant is easily 
cultivated in the Southern States may some day make it a source 
of great profit in the production of silk. The mania may again 
be revived, under auspices which may deprive the term of the 
slight suspicion of reproach which is attached to its objects. 
Mir. and de L. Diet, de M. Med., Supplem. 1846, 496; Griffith, 
Med. Bot. 579. 

As " this is the species upon which the silk-ivorm feeds," the 
following brief directions concerning the manufacture of Silk, 
from the Eural Cyc, may be useful; and as the production of 
the raw silk is in the power of almost any one, if the females of 
numerous families throughout the Southern States would devote 
their leism-e to it, the aggregate amount of silk produced would 
contribute still further to render us independent as a people. 

After the worm has enveloped itself in the cocoon, seven or 
eight days are allowed to elapse before the balls are gathered. 
The next process is to destroy the life of the chrysalides, which 
is done either by exposui-e to the sun, or by the heat of an oven, 
or of steam. The cocoons are next separated from the floss, 
or loose, downy substance which envelopes the compact balls, 
and are then ready to be reeled. For this purpose they are 
thrown into a boiler of hot water for the purpose of dissolving 
the gum, and being gently pressed with a brush, to which the 
threads adhere, the reeler is thus enabled to disengage them. 
The ends of four or more of the threads thus cleared are passed 



325 

through holes in an iron bar, after which two of these compound 
tlireads are twisted together, and made fast to the reel. The 
length of reeled silk obtained from a single cocoon varies from 
three hundred to six hundred yards; and it has been estimated 
that twelve pounds of cocoons, the produce of the labors of 
two thousand eight hundred worms, which have consumed one 
hundred and fifty-two pounds of mulberry leaves, give one 
pound of reeled silk, which may be converted into sixteen yards 
of gros de Naples. Those cocoons' which have been perforated 
cannot be reeled, but must be spun on account of the breaks in 
the thread. The produce of these balls when worked is called 
fleuret. The raw silk, before it can be used in weaving, must be 
twisted or thrown, and may be converted into singles, tram, or 
organzine. The first is produced merely by twisting the raw silk 
to give more firmnews to its texture. Tram is formed by twist- 
ing together, but not very closely, two or more threads of raw 
silk, and usually constitutes the weft or shoot of manufactured 
goods. Organzine is principally used in the warp, and is formed 
by twisting first each individual thread, and then two or more 
of the threads thus twisted, with the throwing-mill. The silk 
when thrown is called hard silk, and must be boiled in order to 
discharge the gum, which otherwise renders it harsh to the 
touch and unfit to receive the dye. After boiling about four 
hours in soaped water, it is washed in clear water to discharge 
the soap, and is seen to have acquired that glossiness and soft- 
ness of texture which forms its principal characteristic. The 
yarn is now ready for weaving. Kural Cyc. I saw in Italy 
the manufacture of silk going on in most of the large towns, 
and many in the country prepare raw silk for the manufacturer 
and weaver. 

The successful rearing of silk-worms, remarks Wilson, is a 
distinct art, and requires peculiar attention. They are subject 
to a variety of maladies. In many places it is usual to import 
the eggs from some district that has acquired reputation for 
their production. These are packed like grain, and are chosen 
in the same manner. The eggs are in many places hatched by 
the heat of the human body. The silk is contained in the form 
of a fluid resembling varnish, in long, cylindrical sacks many 
times the length of the animal, and capable of being unfolded 
by immersion in water. This fluid is easily forced out, and 



326 

advantage is sometimos taken of this circumstance to procure 
threads much coarser than usual, which are extremely strong 
and impervious to water. Eural Cyc. At the agricultural 
meetings in South Carolina and Georgia, articles of home-made 
silk are occasionally presented. 

A correspondent from Sumter, S. C, furnishes the following: 
" In South Carolina silk growing was successfully and pro- 
fitably executed. The mother of the celebrated Pinckneys car- 
ried to England some silk produced on her plantation in South 
Carolina, and it was there woven into tissues, and the gowns 
made of it were presented by her to the mother of young 
George the Third, and to the Earl of Chesterfield. As early as 
the year 1660, the silk-worms of Virginia furnished the corona- 
tion robe of Charles the Second. The mulberry was indige- 
nous in the colony, and the success of silk industry was fully 
established, until it yielded to the tobacco plant, very probably 
because the latter was found more profitable under the unskilled 
and careless labor of the imported Africans. In 1732, ma- 
chinery, eggs and trees were introduced into Georgia ; and in 
1735, Queen Caroline, of England, wore on a great State occa- 
sion, a beautiful robe of Georgia silk. In 1749, that colony 
exported large quantities of cocoons, and one large silk estab- 
ment erected in Savannah, received and used annually during 
the years 1758 to 1766, from ten to twenty thousand pounds of 
cocoons. The war withdrew the fostering care of the parent 
government, and reduced the demand for export, and the re- 
turn of peace found the silk business suspended by cotton 
culture. 

" In Cowdin's recent report to the Department of State, (Cow- 
din, U. S. Commissioner to Paris P]xposition,) it is said that 
* silk husbandry and manufacturing had almost ceased to exist 
in the United States at the commencement of this century.' 
Since then they have not kept pace with the advance in kin- 
dred pursuits. Nevertheless, they have always been prosecuted 
to an encouraging extent in various parts of New England, 
New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As, for example, 
Mansfield, already referred to, has done a large business in sew- 
ing silks, and produced in 1839 five tons of the raw material. 
Washington, Penn., always kept up the business. It was intro- 
duced into the State Prison, at Auburn, N. Y., in 1841 ; and, the 



327 

first year, the product of sewing silk was about $13,000. It 
was steadily increasing in tlie country when, some twenty-five 
years ago, its growth was checked by a disastrous speculative 
furor in the Morus multicaulis shrub, which, for a few years, 
raged throughout the Union like an epidemic. 

" The reaction fell heavily upon the whole business, covering 
it temporaril}'- with odium and ridicule. It has since been 
slowly recovering from this season of delusion and folly. 

"In 1840, the product of silk raised in the United States was 
estimated at about sixty thousand pounds, valued at §250, 000. 
In 1844, it had increased to about four hundred thousand pounds, 
worth §1,500,000. By the census of 1860, when the effects of 
the speculative mania alluded to had culminated, the annual 
product was reported at only fourteen thousand seven hundred 
and sixty-three pounds. Then it began to revive ; and by the 
census report of 1860, it appears that the manufacture of sew- 
ing silks was carried on extensively in Connecticut, New Jer- 
sey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York — the States 
being named in the order of the value of their products. The 
annual production in these States, including tram, organzine, 
etc., was placed at upwards of $5,000,000. Eibbons were made 
to a small extent, as were also silk stuffs. But, aside from 
sewin<£ silks, the chief silk manufacture consisted of ladies' dress 
trimmings, coach laces, etc., of which the cities of Philadelphia 
and New York are reported as producing about $2,300,000. 

" Since 1860, the business in all its departments has made 
steady progress ; and the current period is more favorable than 
any previous one for its energetic prosecution. Our country is 
specially fitted for silk culture. The experiments in Georgia 
and South Carolina proved that their soil and climate were pe- 
culiarly suited to it. May we not hope that after the lapse of 
eighty-five years it will be resumed." 

From an Essay on the Culture and Manufacture of Silk. By 
H. P. Byram, Brandenburg, Meade County, Ky. — Experience 
of past ages has fully proved that the climate of the United 
States is as well adapted to the nature and habits of the silk- 
worm and the production of silk, as that of any other country. 
Several varieties of the mulberry are indigenous in our soil, 
and those generally used in the native country of the silk- worm 
succeed equally well in our own soil and climate. Hence, from 



328 

the nature and habits of American people, we must soon be- 
come the greatest silk growing nation on the earth. The first 
step towai'd the production of silk is to secure a supply of 
siiitable food for the silk-worm. 

Having tried all the varieties introduced into our country, I 
find the Morus imtlticaulis and the Canton varieties, all things 
considered, most suitable for that purpose. 

Propagation of the ATulherry. — Although the experience of 
some years past has rendered this subject familiar to many, yet 
those now most likely to engage in the legitimate business of 
silk growing may be less acquainted with the propagation of 
the tree. I shall give some brief directions on the subject': 

Almost any soil that is high and dry, and that will mature 
Indian corn, is suitable for the mulberry. That, however, which 
is inclined to be light or sandy is the best. 

The Morus midticaulis may be propagated by cuttings or layers, 
(or a good variety may be raised from the seed.) Cuttings may 
be of one or more buds, planted perpendicularly in a light, 
mellow bed of good soil. They should be planted when the 
spring has fully opened, or about the usual time of planting 
corn. They may be planted in the rows, about twelve inches 
apart, and the rows at a sulhcient distance to admit of thorough 
cultivation with a plow or cultivator. The ground should bo 
kept mellow until past midsummer. Select a suitable piece of 
ground for a permanent orchard. It would be well if broken 
up in the fall, and again plowed in the spring, and, if followed 
with the sub-soil plow, it would be advantageous. After a 
thorough harrowing it should be laid off in rows, each Mvay eight 
feet by four, with the plow. The trees at one year old from 
the nursery should be taken up, the tops cut off near the roots, 
and one planted in each of the squares or hills. Having tried 
various methods of planting and different distances, I prefer 
those here given, This will admit the free use of the plow and 
cultivator both ways. 

In latitudes north of 38° or 40°, where land is dear, they may 
be planted much nearer. If a sufficient quantity of cuttings 
fi'om old trees cannot at once be procured, the trees from the 
nursery should be taken up in the fall and buried in a cellar, or 
upon the north side of a bank or hill, in alternate laj'ers of trees 
and earth, and the whole protected by a shed from the rains of 



329 

winter, as the plants seldom sufficiently mature the first season 
from the cuttings to withstand the winters of a Northern cli- 
mate, particularly that portion above the ground. South of 38° 
of latitude these precautions may not be necessary. 

The Canton mulberry is a more hard}^ kind, resembling in 
some degree the varieties known as the common Italian, pro- 
ducing a large, full, thick leaf This variety is propagated from 
seed and from layers, but does not readily strike root from 
cuttings. In 1838 I procured a quantity of this seed from 
Canton, which produced a variety of plants. Those producing 
the greatest quantity of fruit yield an inferior leaf They are 
now propagating this variety very extensively at the silk 
growing establishment at Economy, Pennsylvania, which, in 
connection with the Morus multicaulis, constitute the principal 
food used at this establishment. 

The^ fruit should be gathered when fully ripe, and the seed 
washed out and dried. If south of the 39th parallel of lati- 
tude, they may be planted the same season. North of this, 
they should be planted in the following spring, in a bed of rich 
earth prepared as for beets or onions, and planted in drills about 
eighteen inches apart. The young plants should be thinned to 
the distance of from one to three inches from each other. They 
should be well cultivated, when they will attain the height of 
three or four feet the first season. In the fall, in a Northern 
climate, the young trees should be taken up and protected 
during the winter, as directed for the Morus multicaulis. [This 
is not necessary in the Southern States.] 

In the following spring the branches may be taken oif near 
the main stem, the top shortened, and the whole tree planted, 
completely covering the roots and main stem from one to two 
inches deep. In this way two or more trees may be produced 
from each plant. If a full supply can be procured, the roots of 
the young plants may at once be removed to the orchard. They 
may be allowed to stand much nearer than the multicaulis, 
leaving only sufficient room for cultivation. When seed is re- 
quired it would be well to plant out a portion from the seed-bed 
at once, as standards for this purpose, always selecting those 
bearing/M7^ heart-shaped leaves. The leaves of the white Italian 
produces a good, heavy cocoon, and should always be used in 
the last age of the worms when other larger-leaved varieties 
cannot be obtained. 



330 

Cultivation. — The mulberry orchard should be annually culti- 
vated. The ground kept mellow and free from weeds until the 
middle of July. The fields should be divided into three equal 
parts, and after the second season from planting, one-third each 
year should be cut down near the ground. This will cause a 
more vigorous growth, and an abundant crop of foliage. 

Feeding apartments. — Various plans have been proposed and 
adopted for cocooneries, or feeding-sheds, for the silk-worms, 
none of which, I think, are without objection, except a perfect 
laboratory, so constructed as to be able to fully control the at- 
mosphere and temperature within. This, however, would be 
too expensive, and require too much skill and judgment for 
general adoption. Open or shed-feeding has been employed 
with success of late years, and for general use may be the most 
successful for family establishments. This, however, confines 
the whole business, particularly in the Northern States, to one 
or two crops in the season. South of Ohio more can be success- 
fully fed. 

These sheds may be cheaply made by setting some durable 
posts in the ground, say fi*om six to eight feet high, with a roof 
of shingles or boards. The roof should project two feet over 
the sides. There should be some temporary protection to the 
ends and sides of the shed ; perhaps the best and cheapest can 
be made of strong cotton cloth, (Osnaburg ;) three or four widths 
should be sewed together, with small rods across the bottom, 
which will answer as weights, and also as rollers, which, by the 
aid of a pulley, may be rolled or let down at pleasure. The 
width of the sheds must be governed by the size of the hurdles 
or feeding-trays used. The width that I have adopted is from 
eighteen to twenty feet. The length according to the extent of 
the feeding contemplated. 

Where it is designed to carry on an extensive business, a 
building should be constructed expressly for the purpose. It 
should be on an elevated situation, convenient to the mulberry 
orchard. There should be a cellar under the building. Any 
material commonly used for building may be employed. If of 
wood, weather-boai'ded and plastered. It would be well to fill 
up the space between the two with tan-bark or unburnt brick, 
or something of the kind, which will render the temperature 
more uniform. The width of the building should be twenty or 
twenty-eight feet — the former admitting of two, and the latter 



331 

of three double ranges of hurdles or trays of suitable size; the 
length suited to the extent of the business designed. It should 
be two stories high, and so constructed as to be thoroughly 
ventilated. There should be two double doors in each end, with 
doors, windows and ventilators in the sides. The windows 
should extend to near the tops of the rooms. There should be 
sliding ventilators near the floor. The windows may be filled 
with oiled paper or cloth, which will admit the light and ex- 
clude the sun. It would also be important to have under each 
tier of hurdles, through the floor, two planks of ten inches 
width each, hung with hinges, that they may be raised at 
pleasure by a pulley. Also an upright ventilator on the roof, 
fitted with blinds, through which a constant draft may be 
kept up. 

In one end of the building, in each of the two doors, there 
should be a ventilating wheel made of thin boards (plank) 
much after the form of the wheels applied to the sterns of our 
steam-propellers. These wheels should be about two feet in 
diameter. They should be put in motion for a few minutes 
every hour, or oftener in still weather. Both may be made to 
turn'by one crank, connecting each by bands and whirls to the 
main shaft. 

An air-furnace, such as is now employed in heating churches 
and other buildings, should be constructed in the cellar, and so 
arranged as to draw from the feeding-rooms all the air neces- 
sary to supply the furnace. The air, when heated in the cham- 
ber, should be conveyed through the whole length of the rooms, 
in a square pipe with openings at short distances from each 
other, which should increase in size as they recede from the 
furnace. These openings may be so connected as to be all 
closed at once, or a valve applied at the air-chamber may be 
used to cut off the communication of heated air when the tem- 
perature is sufficiently high in the rooms, suffering the hot air 
to escape outside of the building. In the last ages of the worms 
the furnace will be found of great benefit, even when the heat 
is not required in the rooms, for the purpose of drawing off and 
consuming the impure air of the cocoonery. 

At Economy, they not onl}'' make use of air furnaces, but in 
an adjoining building they have a large air-pump constantly in 
operation, connected with the cocoonery by a pipe with small 



3S2 

openings through the length of the building. This pump is 
kept in motion by a steam engine. 

With good eggs, when proper means have been employed for 
their preservation, and the feeding apartments thoroughly ven- 
tilated, I do not know of a single instance where the worms 
have proved unhealthy. From the conviction that proper 
regard had not generally been paid to the ventilation of cocoon- 
eries, in the summer of 1842 I commenced a series of experi- 
ments, by which I ascertained that the silk-worm during its last 
age consumed nearly its own weight of leaves daily ; and that 
the amount of exhalations or imperceptible perspiration given 
off in proportion to the quantity of food consumed, was about 
equal to that ascertained to escape from a healthy man. 

I found from the most careful experiments, that the weight 
of one hundred thousand silk-worms, about five days before 
their time of winding, was four hundred and fifty-eight pounds, 
and that they would consume daily three hundred and seventy- 
two pounds of leaves,* and that their increased weight in 
twenty-four hours from the food consumed was forty-six pounds, 
and that the enormous amount of two hundred and six pounds 
was given off in the same time, in the form of exhalations or 
imperceptible perspiration alone. This, then, I think, fully ex- 
plains the cause of disease complained of by many, and estab- 
tablishes the importance of ventilation in every possible form. 

In one corner of the building there should be a hatching- 
room, with which the furnace below should be connected, so as 
to receive a greater or lesser degree of heat, as may be required, 
without reference to the temperature of the feeding-rooms. 

Fixtures. — In fitting up the hurdles or feeding shelves for a 
building of twenty feet wide, it will require a double range of 
posts, two and a half or three inches square, on each side of 
the centre of the room, running lengthwise, and the length of 
the shelves apart in the ranges, and each two corresponding 
posts, crosswise of the ranges, about the width of the two 
shelves apart. On each double range across the posts are 
nailed strips, one inch or more in width and about fifteen inches' 

*Had these worms been fed in the ordinary manner they would have 
consumed many more leaves in the same time. But to preserve the greatest 
possible accuracy, through the whole experiment they were fed rather spar- 
ingly- 



333 

apart, on which the trays or hurdles rest, which may be drawn 
out or slid in as may be found necessary in feeding. The aisles 
or passages of a building of the above width will be four feet 
each, allowing two feet for the width of each single hurdle. 

The hurdles that I have used for many years are of twine 
net-work. A frame is first made five feet long and two feet 
wide, of boards seven-eighths of an inch thick, and one and a 
half inches wide. There should be two braces across the frame 
at equal distances of five-eighths by seven-eighths of an inch 
square. On a line, about half an inch from the inner edge of 
the frame, are driven tacks nearly down to their heads, at such 
distances as will make the meshes of the net about three-quar- 
ters of an inch square. Good hemp or flax twine is passed 
around these tacks, forming a net by passing the filling double 
over and under the warp, or that part of the twine that runs 
lengthiyise. This twine should be somewhat smaller than that 
running lengthwise. On a damp day the twine becomes tight; 
1 then give the netting two good coats of shellac varnish. This 
cements the whole together and renders it firm and durable. 
The varnish is made by dissolving a quantity of gum shellac in 
alcohol in a tin covered vessel, and placed near the fire. It 
should be reduced, when used, to the consistency of paint. 

Another set of frames is made in the same way and of the 
same size, and covered with strong cotton or tow cloth; this is 
secured with small tacks. Upon these the net frames rest, 
which serve to catch the litter that falls through from the worms. 
Hurdles made and supported in this manner admit of a more 
free circulation of air, and the litter is less liable to mould or 
ferment, and can be removed and cleaned at pleasure. With 
this kind of hurdle and screen I make use of winding-frames, 
constructed in the following manner : a light frame is made of 
boards one and a half inches wide, and the length of the hur- 
dles, and two feet and four inches wide; this is filled crosswise 
with thin laths about one inch apart in the clear. The manner 
of using these will be hereafter explained. They answer the 
twofold purpose of winding-frames and mounting-ladders. 

The care and expense required in fitting up a house on this 
plan may prevent its general adoption. The most common 
method that has been heretofore employed is permanent shelves; 
but the labor required to keep the worms properly cleaned 
renders this plan objectionable. 



334 

At Economy, Penn., the rearing of the silk-worm is now 
carried on to a great extent, and more successfully than in any 
other part of the United States, or perhaps the world. Their 
houses are two stories high. The worms are fed on small trays 
about eighteen or twenty inches wide, and about three feet 
long. They are supported in the same manner as the hurdles 
above described, and are about six inches apart. When the 
worms are about ready to wind, they are transferred to the 
upper story, to permanent shelves about sixteen inches apart, 
where they form their cocoons in bunches of straw placed up- 
right between the shelves. The worms are cleaned at least 
once after every moulting, and after the last, every day. For 
this purpose they have nets woven or knit of cotton twine, 
something larger than the size of the trays, with meshes of 
various sizes suited to the age of the worms. For the last age 
they are about three-quarters of an inch square. They are 
used without frames. When it is required to remove the worms 
from their litter, the nets are laid lightly over them, and then 
plentifully fed. When the worms have arisen upon the fresh 
leaves, they are removed by two persons taking hold of the 
four corners of the net and transferring them to clean trays, 
held and carried off by a third person. One hundred thousand 
are changed in this manner in two hours. 

Description of the Silk-worm. — It will be necessary for the in- 
experienced culturist to have some knowledge of the forms, 
changes and appearances of the silk-worm before he entei"S 
upon the duties of his interesting charge. The silk-worm is a 
species of caterpillar, whose life is one continual succession of 
changes, which in due time becomes a moth or winged insect, 
like others of the genus. The time occupied in going through 
its ditferent forms of existence varies in different countries — 
governed by climate, temperature and the quality and quantity 
of the food upon which it is fed, and the nature of the particu- 
lar variety of the insect. 

The worm changes or casts its skin (of the common varieties) 
four times before it attains its full growth. These changes are 
called moultings, and the periods intervening between the 
several moultings are termed ages. When it is first hatched it 
is of a blackish color, which afterward becomes lighter, varying 
almost daily to different shades, and in different varieties 
through every age, to the close of the last, or near the time of 



:{35 

spinning, when it assumes a grayish yellow, semi-transparent 
appearance. 

Having tried all the varieties that have been introduced into 
the United States, those I consider the best are known as the 
Chinese Imperial, producing a large, salmon-colored, peanut- 
shaped cocoon; and a kind called the Peanut, producing a 
mixture of white and salmon-colored cocoons. This variety 
produces a larger and more firm cocoon than any of that name 
that I have seen. 

Time of hatching. — Rearing. — When the leaves of the mulberry 
have put forth to the size of about an inch in diameter, it may 
be generally inferred that the proper time for hatching the 
worm has arrived. The papers or cloths containing the eggs 
should then be brought out and placed in the hatching-room, 
upon a table or trays made for the purpose. When artificial 
means4ire emploj'ed, the temperature should be gradnaUy raised 
until the time of hatching, which will be in about ten daj's, to 
75° or 80° of Fahrenheit's thermometer. But few worms will 
make their appearance on the first day, but on the second and 
third the most will come out; should there be a few remaining 
on the fourth day, they may be thrown away, as they do not 
always produce strong and healthy worms. When the worms 
begin to make their appearance, young mulbeny leaves cut into 
narrow strips should be laid over them, to which they will readily 
attach themselves; these should be carefully removed, and 
placed compactly upon a cloth screen or tray prepared for them, 
and other leaves placed upon the eggs for the worms that still 
remain, which should be passed otf as before. A singular fact 
will be observed, that all the worms will hatch between sunrise 
and before noon of each day. Care should be taken to keep the 
worms of each day's hatching by themselves, as it is of the 
greatest importance to have the moultings and changes of all 
the worms as simultaneous as possible. It is also important 
that the worms that have been transferred to the trays should 
not be fed until the hatching for the day is completed, so that 
all may be fed equally. Young and tender leaves should be se- 
lected to feed the worms with; these should be cut with a sharp 
knife into pieces not, exceeding a quarter of an inch square, and 
evenly sifted over them. They should bo fed in this way six or 
eight times in twenty -four hours, as nearly as possible at regular 
and stated periods. 



oob 

It will be impossible to lay down any definite rules for the 
quantity of leaves necessaty for a given number of worms for 
each succeeding day through every age. After a little acquaint- 
ance with their nature and habits, the intelligence and judg- 
ment of the attendant will be the best guide ; they should, how- 
ever, have as much as they ;svill eat, but after a few days care 
should be taken not to give them more than they will generally 
consume, as this will increase the accumulation of litter, which 
will endanger the health of the worms. In the last age they 
eat voraciously, when they should be well supplied. A quantity 
of leaves should always be on hand in case of wet weather. 

When the average range of the thermometer is between 70° 
and 80° the several moultings will take place near the fifth, 
ninth, fifteenth and twenty-second days after hatching. It may 
be known when the worms are about to east their skins, as they 
cease to eat, and remain stationary, with their heads raised, and 
occasionally shaking them. This operation will be more dis- 
tinctly observed as they increase in size through their succeed- 
ing ages. Assuming the above temperature as the standard, the 
quantity of leaves for the first three days of this (the first) age 
must be gradually increased at each feeding, after which they 
will require less at each succeeding meal until the time of moult- 
ing arrives, when for about twenty -four hours they eat nothing. 
But as it is seldom the case that all cast their skins at one and 
the same time, some will still be disposed to eat, when a few 
leaves must be cut fine and sparingly scattered over them, so 
that those that remain torpid may be disturbed as little as 
possible. They must now be carefully fed in this way until it 
is discovered that some have moulted, when the feeding must 
cease altogether until the most of them have recovered. This 
rule must me particularly regarded through all the succeeding 
moultings, otherwise some of the worms will be far in advance 
of others ; and this want of uniformity will increase through- 
out each succeeding age, and to the period of winding, which 
will not only result in great inconvenience in gathering the 
cocoons, but will materially injure the worms, and consequently 
lessen the crop of silk. 

When the greatest portion of the worms have moulted, and ap- 
pear active, leaves a little wilted are laid over them, by which 
they are passed to clean trays. If any still remain that have 
moulted, they must be transferred in the same manner, by 



337 

laying more leaves upon them. The remnant of worms that 
have not changed their skins should be left upon the litter and 
added to those of the next day's moulting. By closely regarding 
these rules throughout the several ages, the worms will gen- 
erally all commence the formation of their cocoons about the 
same period. 

After having gone through and furnished all the worms with 
a quantity of leaves, it is well to go over a second time, and add 
more where they seem to require it. Yery young and tender 
leaves must be given to the worms in the first age, after which 
older ones can be given as they advance in age until after the 
last moulting, when they should be fed upon sound, full-grown 
leaves. After the second moulting the leaves, where large crops 
are fed, may be cut by running them twice through a common 
rotary hay or straw-cutter, of Hovey's, or one of a similar 
malcQ. 

The worms will frequently heap together and become too 
thick, as they increase in size. When they are fed the leaves 
must be spread, and the space enlarged, or they may be removed 
by leaves or twigs of the mulberry to places unoccupied. If 
they are permitted to be crowded, disease is apt to follow and 
the whole crop is endangered. It will sometimes be observed, 
when the light falls more directly on one side of the hurdle 
than the other, that the worms will incline to leave that side 
aud become crowded on the opposite, when the hurdle should 
be turned around. 

Up to the last moulting it is best to feed the worms entirely 
upon the leaves of the multicoulis, after which the Canton or 
white Italian should be used if a full supply can be obtained — 
the former being consumed with greater avidity, and the accu- 
mulation of litter is consequent!}- less. The Canton and Italian 
produce the heaviest cocoon, while the multicaulis yields a finer 
and stronger fibre. In pursuing this course the advantages of 
both are in some degree secured. 

The worms should bo removed from their litter immediately 
after each moulting, and in their fourth age the hurdles should 
be cleaned a second time, and after the last moulting they 
should be removed at least every second day. Where nets ai'e 
not used in the last ages, the worms are changed by laying over 

them the small branches of the mulberry. Eecently branch- 

22 



3;{s 

foedinjx, as it is termed, has been introduced with some success, 
and with great economy of time ; in the hist ages of the worms 
care shouhi bo taken to hvy the branches as evenly as possible, 
especially where it is designed to use the twine hurdles, other- 
wise it will be ditlieult for the worms to ascend through the 
netting. 

"When the worms are about to spin they present something of 
a yellowish appearance; they ivfuse to eat, and wander about in 
pursuit of a hiding-place, and throw out tibres of silk upon the 
leaves. The hurdles should now be thoroughly cleaned for tho 
last time, and something prepared for them to form their co- 
coons in. Various plans have been proposed for this purpose. 
The lath frames, before described, 1 prefer. They are used by 
resting the back edge of the frame upon the hurdle, where tho 
two n\eet in the double range, and raising the tront edge up to 
the underside of the hurdle above, which is held to its place by 
two small wii'o hooks attached to the edge of the hurdle. A 
covering of paper or cloth ehould be applied to the lath frames. 
In using the hurdles and screens 1 remove the screen tVom under 
tho hurdle, turning the underside up, and letting it down di- 
rectly upon the winding-frame. This atfords double the room 
for the worms to wind in. Lath frames of this description have 
advantages that no other fixtures for winding possess that I 
have ever seen tried. The frame resting upon the backside of 
each hurdle renders this side more dark, which places the worms 
instinctivel}' seek when they meet with tho ends of tho laths, 
and immediately ascend to convenient places for the formation 
of their cocoons. From these frames the cocoons are gathered 
with great facility and free from litter and dirt, and when they 
arc required they are put up wnth great expedition. 

"Where branch-feeding has been adopted by some, no other 
accommodation has been provided for the winding of the worms 
than that atlbrded them by the branches from which they have 
fed. This is decidedly objectionable, as the worms are always 
disposed to rise until their course is obstructed above. When 
this is not the case they wander about for hours upon the tops 
of the branches, and only descend after their strength becomes 
exhausted, and the result is the production of a crop of loose, 
inferior cocoons. !^ext to lath frames, small bunches of straw 
at^brd the best accommodatioo for this purpose. Eye straw is 



•t'Xi 

preferred. Take a Hmall buneh, about the Kize of the little fin- 
gci', and with wome Htrorig twin*; tic it firmly about half an inch 
from th(! butt of the straw ; cut the bunch off about half an 
incli longer than the diHtancc between the hurdles. They are 
tliuH placed upright with their butt-ends downward, with their 
tops spreading out, interlacing each other, and pressing against 
the hurdles above. Th<;y Khould be thickly set in double rows 
about sixteen inches apart across the hurdles. These may be 
preserved for a number of years. 

After most of the worms have arisen, the few remaining 
may be removed to hurdles by themselves. In three or four 
days the cocoons may bo gathered. While gathering, those 
designed for eggs should be selected. Those of firm and fine 
texture, with round, hard ends, are the best. The smaller co- 
coons most generally produce the male, and those larger and 
mor<i^full at the ends the female insect. PJach healthy female 
moth will lay from four to six hundred eggs. But it is not alvvaj'S 
safe to calculate on one-half of the cocoons to produce female 
moths. Therefore, it is well to save an extra number to insure 
a supply of eggs. 

The cocoons intended for eggs should be stripped of their 
floss or loose tow. which consists of irregular fibres, by which 
the worm attaches its work to whatever place it is about to 
form its cocoon. These should be placed on hurdles, in a thin 
layer, and in about two weeks the moths will come out; always 
in tlic forepart of the day, and generally before the sun is two 
hours high. If laid upon a net hurdle (which is best) they will 
immediately fall through the meshes and remain suspended on 
the underside where they are not liable to become entangled in 
the cocoons. As soon as the male finds the female the}' become 
united. They should be taken carefully b}' the wings, in pairs, 
and placed upon sheets of paper, to remain until near night, 
when the female will be anxious to lay her eggs. Then lake 
each gently by the wings and separate them, placing the fe- 
males at regular distances — about two inches from each other — 
upon sheets of paper or fine cotton or linen cloth; these should 
hang over a line, or be attached to the side of the house. In 
two or three nights the moths will complete their laying, when 
they should be removed from the papers or cloths. Frequently 
the males appear first in the greatest numbers, some of which 



340 

should be reserved each day in case there should afterward be 
an excess of females. They should be shut out from the light, 
otherwise they are liable to injure themselves by a constant 
fluttering of their wings. The female is largest, and seldom 
moves or flutters. 

Killing the chrysalides. — After the cocoons have been gathered, 
those that are intended for sale or for future reeling should be 
submitted to some process by which the moths avIU be killed, 
otherwise they will perforate and spoil the cocoons. This is 
done by various methods. The most simple and convenient ig 
to spread them thinly on boards, and expose them to the direct 
rays of the sun. In a hot day many-of them will be killed in a 
few hours ; but they must be stirred occasionally, or some will 
be liable to escape the heat, and afterward come out. At 
Economy, they place them in an air-tight box containing about 
ten bushels, (the box should always be full, or if not, a partition 
is fitted down to the cocoon,) sprinkling evenly through the 
whole, beginning at the bottom, about three ounces of camphor 
slightly moistened with alcohol, and finely pulverized. The 
box is then closed, and the seams of the top covered by pasting 
strips of paper over them. They remain in this way about 
three or four days. They are then spread out thinly in an upper 
loft to cure, where they should be occasionally stirred. It will 
require some weeks to thoroughly cure them. Before cam- 
phoring, the dead and bad cocoons must be taken out, otherwise 
they will spoil the good ones. 

When it is convenient, it is best to reel as many of the 
cocoons as possible immediately after they are gathered, as 
they reel much more freely before they are exposed to the sun 
or dried. 

Succession of crops. — Preservation of eggs. — Eepeated attempts 
have been made to feed a succession of crops of worms through- 
out the entire season from the same stock of eggs. In most 
instances success has failed to attend these efforts. When 
proper means are employed, and due care observed, the eggs 
may be preserved, and worms successfully I'aised until the feed 
is destroyed by the frost. In many jears experience I have 
never failed in this respect. In the spring of 18-10 I communi- 
cated to Miss Rapp, of Economy, my method of preserving 
eggs, which she immediately adopted, and has pursued it until 



341 

the present time with perfect success, feeding from eighteen to 
twenty-five crops each year. The following is an extract of a 
letter from the Postmaster at Economy, dated January 19, 
1843: 

" Between May and September we raised near two millions 
of worms, in eighteen sets, of near equal numbers, about a 
week apart, producing three hundred and seventy-one bushels 
of cocoons. The last crop hatched the 9th of September, and 
spun the 10th of October. We found no difference in the 
health of the different sets. We are of the opinion that the 
late keeping of the eggs does not bring disease on the worms if 
they are kept right, and gradually brought forward as they 
ought to be." 

It may be remarked that the qualities of the mulberry leaf 
are such in the latter part of the season that as heavy cocoons 
wilLnot be produced as in the first. A bushel of the first crop 
raised at Economy, in the season referred to, produced twenty- 
three and a quarter ounces of reeled silk, and the last crop, 
wound in October, but nineteen ounces. About one month of 
the best part of that season of feeding was lost by the severe 
frost that occurred on the 5th of May, which entirely killed the 
young leaves, and must have materially injured the crop of the 
season. 

My method of preserving eggs is to place them in the ice- 
house in February, or early in March, or sooner if the weather 
is warm. For this purpose a box or square trunk is made, ex- 
tending from within one foot of the bottom of the ice to the 
top. This may be made in joints, so that as the ice settles the 
upper joints may be removed. The eggs should be placed in a 
tin box, and this enclosed in a wood one, and suspended in the 
trunk near the ice. The communication of warm air should be 
cut off by filling the opening with a bundle of straw or hay. 
The eggs should be aired for a few minutes as often as once in 
one or two weeks, always choosing a cool, dry morning ; when 
selections for succeeding crops may be made these should be 
placed in another box, and gradually raised in the trunk for 
several days, avoiding a too sudden transition from the ice to 
the temperature of the hatching-room. 

The ice-house at Economy is connected with the cellar, the 
bottom of the former being eighteen inches below that of the 



342 

latter. A loufr wooden box, extending into the ice-house, level 
with the bottom of the cellar floor, contains all the smaller 
boxes of eggs. The door of the box opening in the cellar is 
kept well closed to prevent the admission of warm air. They 
emplo}' another ice-house, sunk deep in the cellar, with shelves 
graduall}^ rising from the ice up to the top of the ground, upon 
which the eggs of succeeding crops are placed, and raised one 
shelf higher every day until they are taken into the hatching- 
room. The past season they have hatched about Jive ounces of 
eggs, or one hundred thousand worms every four days. 

Diseases of the Silk-ioorm. — The si Ik- worm, like every other 
animal or insect, is liable to disease and premature death. Eu- 
rojiean writers have enumerated and described six particular 
diseases to which it is subject. But in our more congenial cli- 
mate nothing is wanting to insure a healthy stock of silk- 
worms and a profitable return from their labors, but to give 
them sufficient room, a regular and full supply of suitable food, 
a strict regard to cleanliness and a proper ventilation of their 
apartments. In excessively hot, damp or sultry weather, in 
the last age, the disease known as the yellows sometimes occurs. 
Where open feeding is adopted, some fine air-slaked lime may be 
sifted on the worms once or twice a day before feeding, and the 
diseased and dead worms picked out and thrown away. In a 
regular cocoonery, pi'operly ventilated and supplied with an 
air-furnace, dry air should be made to circulate freely. But if 
the temperature is above 80'^ or 85° the ventilating apparatus 
should be constantly employed until a change of weather occurs 
or the disease disappears. 

A feeding-house should be so arranged as to cut off all com- 
munication of rats and mice from the worms and the cocoons. 

Reeling. — We have now arrived at another branch of the silk 
business, which more properly comes under the head of manu- 
facturing. Every farmer who engages in the silk culture, in 
order to avail himself of an additional profit should provide his 
family with a suitable reel, by the use of which, after a little ex- 
perience, ho will be enabled to offer his silk in market in a form 
that will greatly enhance its value and much reduce the trouble 
and expense of transportation. Heels can now be procured in 
almost any of the principal cities at a small cost, or they can be 
made by any ingenious farmer or carpenter. The reel now 
iiniformly used is that known as the Piedmontese. 



343 

All attempts to improve this reel in its general principles, I 
believe, have failed. At Economy, however, they have made an 
addition which may be found useful. It consists of two pairs of 
whirls, made of wire, in the form of an aspel to a reelj about 
four inches long, and two and a half inches across from arm to 
arm, making the circumference about six inches. These whirls 
are set in an iron frame, and run each upon two points or 
centres. Each pair is equidistant on a direct line, about eight 
inches apart, between the first guides and those on the traverse 
bar, instead of making the usual number of turns around each 
thread as they pass between the guides on the reel. With this 
arrangement each thread is taken from the basin and passed 
through the first guides, then cai'ried over and around the two 
whirls, and where they pass each other on the top the turns are 
made necessary to give firmness to the thread, then passing di- 
rectly through the guides in the traverse bar to the arms of the 
reel, making each thread in reeling independent of the other. 
This enables the reeler, when a remnant of cocoons are to be 
finished on leaving the work, to unite both threads into one, 
retaining the necessary size, whereas both would be too fine if 
continued on the reel in the ordinary manner. 

Directions for Reeling. — In family establishments a common 
clay or iron furnace should be procured, to which should be 
fitted a sheet-iron top about twelve inches high, with a door on 
one side, and a small pipe on the opposite side to convey off the 
smoke. This top should retain the same bevel or flare as the 
furnace, so as to be about twenty inches in diameter at the top. 
The pan should be twenty inches square, and six inches deep, 
divided into four apartments, two of which should be one inch 
larger one way than the others. They should all communicate 
with each other at the bottom. In large filatures a small steam 
engine to propel the reels, etc., and to heat the water for reeling 
would be necessary. 

Before the operation of reeling is commenced the cocoons 
must be stripped of their floss, and assorted into three separate 
pai'cels, according to quality or of difl'erent degrees of firmness. 
The double cocoons, or those formed by two or more worms 
spinning together, the fibres crossing each other, and rendering 
them difficult to reel, should be laid aside to be manufactured in 
a different manner. 



3U 

Aftec tho cocoons have been ai^sol•ted as above directed, the 
operation of reeling may be commenced. The basin should be 
nearly filled with the softest water, and kept at a proper heat 
by burning charcoal, or some other convenient method of keep- 
ing up a regular heat. The precise tem])erature cannot be 
ascertained until the reeling is commenced, owing to the differ- 
ent qualities of the cocoons. Those of the best quality will re- 
quire a greater degree of heat than those of a more loose and 
open texture ; hence the importance of assisting them. Cocoons 
also require less heat, and reel much better when done before 
the chrysalides are killed and the cocoons become dried. 

The heat of the water may be raised to near the boiling 
point, (it should never be allowed to boil,) when two or three 
handsful of cocoons may be thrown into one of the large apart- 
ments of the basin, which must be gontlj^ pressed under water 
for a few minutes with a little brush made of broom-corn, with 
the ends shortened. The heat of the water will soon soften the 
gum of the silk, and thereby loosen the ends of the filaments; 
the reeler should then gently stir the cocoons with the brush 
until the loose fibres adhere to it; they are then separated from 
the brush, holding the filaments in the left hand, while the 
cocoons are carefully combed down between the fingers of tho 
right hand as they are raised out of the water. This is con- 
tinued until the floss or false ends are all drawn ofi^", and the fine 
silk begins to appear ; the fibres are then broken off, and laid 
over the edge of the basin. The fioss is then cleared from the 
brush, and laid aside as refuse silk, and the operation continued 
until most of the ends are thus collected. 

If the silk is designed for sewings, about twentj'-five fibres 
should compose a thread ; if intended for other fabrics, from 
eight to fifteen should be reeled together. The finest silks 
should always be reeled from the best cocoons. The cocoons 
composing the threads are taken uj) in a small tin skimmer 
made for the purpose, and passed from the large apartment of 
the basin to those directly under the guides. As the ends 
become broken they are passed back into the spare apartment, 
w4iere they are again collected to be returned to the reel. The 
requisite number of fibi'es thus collected for two threads are 
passed each through the lower guides. They are then wound 
around each other two or three times, and each carried through 



345 

tile two giiidcH in the tniverse bar, and then attached to the 
arniH oftlie reel. The turning should now be comnrienced with 
a slow and steady motion until the threads run freely. While 
the reel is turning, the person attending the cocoons must con- 
tinually bo adding fresh ends as they may be required, not 
wailing until the number she began with is reduced, because 
the internal fibres are much finer than those composing the ex- 
ternal layers. In adding new ends the reeler must attach them, 
by g<;ntly pressing them with a little turn between the thumb 
and finger, to the threads as they are running. As the silk is 
reeled off the chrysalides should be taken out of the basin, 
otherwise they obscure and thicken the water, and injure the 
color and lustre of the silk. When the water becomes dis- 
colored it should always be changed. If in reeling the silk 
leaves the cocoon in burrs or bunches, it is evident the water is 
too hyt ; or when the ends cannot be easily collected with the 
brush, or when found not to run freely, the water is too cold. 

A pail of cold water should always be at hand, to be added 
to the basin as it may be required. When the cocoons yield 
their fibres freely, the reel may be turned with a quicker mo- 
tion. The quicker the motion the smoother and better will be 
the silk. When from four to six ounces have been reeled, the 
aspel may be taken off that the silk may dry. The end should 
be fastened so as to be readily found. Squeeze the silk together 
and loosen it upon the bars, then on the opposit^e side tie it with 
a band of refuse silk or j'arn, then slide it off the i-eel, double 
and again tie it near each extremity. 

The quality of the silk depends much upon the art and skilful 
management of the reeler. All that is required to render one 
perfect in the art of reeling is a little practice, accompanied at 
the beginning with a degree of -patience, and the exercise of 
judgment in keeping up the proper temperature of water, and 
the threads of a uniform size. 

Manufacture of Perforated Cocoons. — The perforated and double 
cocoons can be manufactured into various fabrics, such as stock- 
ings, gloves, undershirts and the like. Before the cocoons can 
be spun they must be put into a clean bag made of some open 
cloth, and placed in a pot or kettle, and covered with soft water, 
with soap (hard or soft; added sufficient to make a strong suds, 
and boiled for about three or four liours. If they are required 



346 

to be very nice jvnd white, the water may be changed and a 
small quantity more of soap added and again boiled for a few 
minutes. After they are boiled they may be hung up and 
drained ; they should then be rinsed while in the bag, in fair 
water, and hung out to dry, without disturbing them in the 
bag. "When completely dry they may be spun on the common 
flax-wheel by lirst taking the cocoon in the tingers and slightly 
loosening the fibres that become flattened down by boiling, and 
and then spinning off from the pierced end. The silk will run 
entirely off, leaving the shell bare. The double cocoons may 
be spun in the same manner, but should be boiled separately. 

A species of edible mulberry is planted pretty generally for 
feeding hogs. I am informed that it continues to bear during 
several months, from April to Jul}' or August, and is considered 
highlj' advantageous. This is called the Ever-bearing JIulberry. 
The following account I obtain from the Southei'n Field and 
Fireside : 

Ever-bearing JIulberries. — There are now three varieties of 
ever-bearing mulberries presented to us for selection or for gen, 
eral adoption. Doicning's Ever-bearing is a seedling of the imd- 
ticaulis, which it resembles in wood and foliage. It is, therefore, 
necessarily somewhat tender, and not suited to a more Northern 
climate. Mi*. D. has given us an ample description of its fruit 
in his Fruit Trees of America, and merits much credit for orig- 
inating so excellent a fruit. 

IIerbemo7ifs or Jiieks' Ever-bearing is a much hardier variety- 
and superior to the preceding in size and quality of its fruit, 
which is produced during a considerably larger period of time. 
It is a prodigious bearer; the berries are usually nearly two 
inches in length, sweet and delicious. At the South the fruit 
continues to ripen from the 25th of April until the 15tii of 
August, and here at the North the crop extends to a late period 
in the autumn. This tree has dark red wood and indented 
leaves, very distinct from Downing's. 

White Ever-bearing, sweet berries, partakes considerably of 
the character of the white Italian. It grows vigorously and 
yields immense quantities of fruit. 

The first two varieties have been in fruit with us this season. 
Of Downing's, from a young tree, we gathered but a few ber- 
ries, of which we preferred the more vinoiis and decided flavor 



to tliat of tlio iricks. The lattor dooH not materially vary in 
quality from the common wild npeeieH, of which it \h a variety, 
differing in its extended period of bearing. Our young tree, of 
about twice the age of JJowning's, began to ripen the firHt of 
May, and liaH juHt stopped fruiting for the seaHon. The fruit 
is worth growing on plantatiouH for y)Oultry and Hwine, as it is 
very prolific. A mulberry orchard of this kind would furnish 
the latter a full supply of food for about three months. It is to 
be found at all nurseries, and we venture to commend it to our 
agricultural friends as a valuable farm crop for the cheap rear- 
ing of good hogs. 

The juice of the mulberry is used to give a dark tinge to 
confections. When properly fermented the fruit yields a pleas- 
ant vinous liquor, mulberry wine, and is mixed with apple juice 
to form mulberry cider. The bark of the root is a powerful 
cathartic. Farmers's Encyc. 

COMMON MULBKKIIY, (Morus rubra, L.) Grows along 
rivers and swamps ; vicinity of Charleston ; Kichland ; Florida. 
N. C. Fl. March. 

U. S. Disp. 463. The fruit is edible, laxative and cooling, and 
a grateful drink and syrups arc made from it, adapted to febrile 
cases. The bark of the mulberry can be converted into cordage, 
ropes and brown paper. The itmer bark of the root of the 
black mulberry, in doses of from half to a whole teaspoonful of 
the powder, is said to act as an excellent purgative. A syrup 
of the ripe fruit is an excellent laxative for children. A tincture 
of the inner bark of the root is considered a valuable laxative 
bitter. 

Tartaric acid is obtained from tht; mulberry, the grape, cur- 
rant, etc. It is almost always found in vegetables combined 
with potassa, with which it forms a nearly insoluble salt ; it is 
the union which occasions it to be so easily precipitated from 
the liquors in which it is contained, especially when they fer- 
ment. The coats of tartar which are found deposited upon the 
sides of casks are a combination of tartaric acid, potassa and 
extracted matter. Chaptal. 8ee Pereira, and treatises on 
chemistry for mode of formation of Cream of tartar. 

Citric acid, also, is found in the skins of the red currant, of 
wild plums, cherries, strawberries and raspberries. In these it 
is found united with malic acid. The orange and lemon, of 



348 

course, furnish it in the largest i)roportion. Tlie process adopted 
by Scheele for obtaining and crystallizing citric acid is to satu- 
rate the juice with lime, the insoluble salt, thus formed, being 
decomposed by sulphuric acid diluted with water. The liquor 
is then evaporated, and the acid obtained in a crystalline form. 
See Chaptal, Ure, works on Chemistry and Mat. Medica, Pereira, 
U. S. Dispensatory, etc. 

The production of citric acids in the warmer portions of the 
Southern States is quite practicable, as the lemon grows abun- 
dantly. Citric acid supplies the place of lemon juice for domestic 
purposes, and in the arts, by its being freed from mucilage, 
which renders the juice liable to undergo speedy change, and 
from a diminution of its bulk by concentration. Chaptal. 

To give a flavor to food, citric acid is preferable to vinegar, 
on account of the aromatic principle it contains. Dissolved in 
water, it forms a very wholesome drink; "about thirty grains 
of the acid, dissolved in a pint of water, and sweetened with 
sugar, composes an excellent lemonade." From its refreshing 
and anti-putrescent properties, it is invaluable during the hot 
months, and especially as an article for sea stores of vessels in 
warm latitudes, Chaptal ; and particularly for the prevention of 
scurvy. " Citric acid is also particularly useful in the arts ;" 
like oxalic acid, "it is employed in forming reserves in printed 
goods, and in removing spots of ink or rust." Chaptal. See, 
also, acetic acid, vinegar, etc., and Orange, " Citrus,'" in this 
volume. 

Ell., in his Sketches of the Botany of S. C, says the wood is 
preferred, in the building of boats, to that of any other tree, 
except the red cedar, (Juniperus Virginiana.) The other woods 
suitable for ship-building found with us are, the live-oak for the 
timbers and knees, and the cypress, cedar, willow and several 
species of pine for the timbers as well as the spars — being pre- 
ferred on account of their strength, lightness, or peculiarity of 
growth. 

Wilson says of this tree that the wood is fine grained, com- 
pact, strong and solid, and by many persons is esteemed fully 
equal to the locust. It is employed in naval architecture at 
Philadelphia and Baltimore, for the upper and lower parts of 
the frame, for knees and floor timbers, and for tree-nails; it is 
hardly inferior to the locust, but is scarce in the ship-yards. 



349 

For posts it is considered nearly as lasting as the locust, but it 
grows more slowly, and requires a richer soil. From experi- 
ments made in France it was ascertained that the leaves were 
not as good for the silk-worm as those of the J£. alba. A much 
less quantity was obtained than from worms fed on the white 
mulberr}', and there was a greater mortality. Rural Cyc. See, 
also, my article in August number, 1861, of DeBow's Review. 

Broussonetia papyrifera, the paper mulberry of our yards, be- 
longs to this family, (Chapman.) Fustic is also got from the 
same family. As the paper mulberrj^ is planted in this country, 
I will insert the account given by Wilson of its uses. The 
islanders of the Pacific make a kind of clothing from this tree, 
in the following manner: twigs of about an inch in diameter 
are cut and deprived of their bark, which is divided into strips, 
and left to macerate for some time in running water ; after the 
epidermis has been scraped off, and while yet moist, the strips 
are laid out upon a plank in such a manner that they touch at 
their edges, and two or three layers of the same are placed 
upon them, taking care to preserve an equal thickness through- 
out. At the end of twenty-four hours the whole mass is adhe- 
rent, when it is removed to a large flat, and perfectly smooth 
table, and is beaten with little wooden clubs till it has attained 
the requisite thickness. It is easily torn, and requires to be 
washed and beaten many times before it acquires its full sup- 
pleness and whiteness. The paper which is used in Japan, and 
many other countries in the East Indies, is made from this 
plant ; for this purpose the annual shoots are cut off after the 
fall of the leaves, tied in bundles, and boiled in water mixed 
with ashes; after which the bark is stripped off by longitudinal 
incisions, and deprived of the brown epidermis. The bark of 
the more tender shoots furnishes a very white paper for 
writing. Hair pencils must be used in writing on this paper. 
Silk-worms eat the leaves of this tree also. Rural Cj'c. 

FIG, (Ficus carica.) Ex. Cult. Flourishes in South Caro- 
lina ; Norfolk, Va. In the garden of Mr. T. Farr Capers, 
Charleston, the Fig trees are thirty feet in height and three in 
circumference. They are trimmed to the height of ten feet. 

Shec. Flora Carol. The milky juice of many plants of the 
Family Moraceae contains much caoutchonc. We have three 
native species growing in S. Fla. The fruit is well known ; the 



350 

juice has been substituted for sympathetic ink, as the characters 
written with it are not visible till exposed to the sun. The 
decoction of the green branches and leaves imparts a deep gold 
color, of a brown shade, to cloth prepai"ed with a solution of 
bismuth. I have heard it stated as a curious fact, that there is 
but one male fig in America, which grows in Louisiana ! Some 
botanists describe the plant as containing both stamens and 
pistils within the fruit or pericarp. 

Figs are excellent pabulum for vinegar, which may be con- 
stantly replenished with the over-ripened fruit. 

The following easy process of making white vinegar from 
honey may not be amiss, even in a work of this kind, which 
professes to teach economical modes of becoming independent 
of foreign supplies. It is obtained from ^Vilson's Rural Cyc. 
The matei'ials can be easily obtained. Four very good kinds of 
household vinegar, perfectly suitable for pickling, and for other 
domestic purposes, may easily be made from respectively — 
honey, brown sugar, British wines, and sour ale. First, as to 
honey or white vinegar : dissolve three-quarters of a pound of 
honey in rain water, and put it into a seven-gallon cask, with a 
quart of malt spirit; shake it well, then fill up the cask with 
rain water ; shake it well, and keep near the kitchen fire, where 
it must stand without being moved or shaken. Let it remain 
five months in this place, and the vinegar will be made. Draw 
it off by piercing the lo-wer part of the cask, and let it run till 
the concretion which is formed at the top, and is termed 
"mother of vinegar," begins to appear. You rciQ.y then begin 
the process again without cleaning the cask. Pi'ojjerly toasted 
bread, saturated with yeast, would take the place of the malt 
spirit referred to above. See article "Yinegar," in Rural Cyc, 
for other methods. 

The fruit is well known, and when properly prepared for 
market in the warmer portion of the Southern States, might con- 
stitutes an article both for export and for home consumption. 
Many persons believe implicitly in the power of the atmosphere 
about this tree to render meat tender. Our "Southern matrons" 
now put up this fruit in a most palatable shape for winter use, 
dried in the sun, after being boiled in a syrup. The celestial fig 
is the best for this purpose. Molasses can also be made from 
the fig and watermelon. Mr. C. 11. Owen, of Charleston, made 



351 

it from the white fig. One peck yielded three pints. From a 
bushel he obtained seven quarts, according to the following di- 
rections : 

" Wash the figs, then put them in a porcelain vessel ; cover 
with pure water, boil carefully one hour. When cool, strain 
through a muslin cloth; then boil again until it is boiled down 
to a proper consistency, which you can easil}' tell by dipping up 
a spoonful and cooling. The above is all the preparation neces- 
sary. In boiling for the last time, take the scum off." 

" F. J. S.," a correspondent of the Charleston Mercury, writes 
as follows on "our resources :" " You spoke, in the article above 
alluded to, of different coloring substances. The juice of the 
skin of our blue fig is abundant, and of a deep, brilliant red color ; 
a half page written with it a few days since had the appearance 
of having been done with red ink. The pomegranate, which 
grows in great abundance in Southern Georgia, furnishes, in the 
rind ofthe fruit, a jet black fluid, which writes very smoothly, 
and retains its jetty hue. The metallic pen used may darken 
its color." 

I have seen blue cakes resembling indigo, intended for dyeing 
and marked fig blue — probably extracted from the skins of the 
fig. Since the war the stems of the fig and titi {Cliftonia) have 
formed favorite materials for pipe stems. I have ascertained 
that the ashes of the leaves of the fig are useful in polishing 
metal-utensils, etc. 

ULMACE^. {The Elm Tribe.) 

SLIPPERY ELM, (Ulmus fulva.) I have observed it in Fair- 
field District. It is sometimes found irr the lower districts ; 
N. C. 

Am. Herbal. 139 ; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. and Therap. 228 ; 
U. S. Disp. 727 ; Dr. McDowell's Med. Exam. 244 ; West Jour. 
Med. and Phys. Sc; Michaux, Fl. Americana, i, 172^; and N. Am. 
Sylva, iii, 89 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 563. A decoction of the bark 
was much used by the Indians in the cure of leprosy. It is an 
excellent demulcent employed as an emollient application, and 
internally is especially recommended in supression of urine, in- 
flammation of the bladder, dysentery and diarrhcea. A decoc- 
tion made of this, combined with the root of the sassafras, and 
guaiac, is esteemed as a valuable drink to increase cutaneous 



352 

transpiration, and to improve the tone of the digestive organs. 
Griffith considers it a good substitute for acacia, and he has wit- 
nessed its beneficial effects, externally applied, in obstinate cases 
of herpetic and syphilitic eruptions; he is inclined to ascribe 
higher curative powers to it than are generally admitted. It 
forms a good vehicle for enemata, where a mucilaginous fluid is 
required. The bark, cut in the form of a bougie, has been used 
in dilating sinuses and contractions of the urethra. The sub- 
stance exuding from the bark is called ulmin. It could be 
largely collected for the use of soldiers — suitable wherever 
a highly mucilaginous substance is required. See Bene "^Ses- 
amum." This is the best wood we have for blocks, and is ex- 
cellent for rails, as it splits easily, and is of long duration. It is 
more durable than the white elm. 

I append the following to the second edition : 

Dr. C. W. Wright, of Cincinnati, states (Western Lancet) that 
slippery elm bark has the property of preserving fatty sub- 
stances from ranciditj^ ; a fact derived originally from the In- 
dians who prepared bear's fat by melting it with the bark in the 
proportion of a drachm of the latter to a pound of the former, 
keeping them heated together for a few minutes, and then 
straining off the fat. Dr. Wright tried the name process with 
butter and lard and found them to remain perfectly sweet for a 
long time. (Am. J. Pharm. xxiv, 180,) U. S. Disp. 12th Ed. Dr. 
McDowel, of Virginia, used the bark for the dilatation of fistulas 
and strictures, (Med. Exam, i, 244,) and Dr. H. E. Storer, of 
Boston, subsequently for dilating the os uteri. (Bost. Med. and 
Surg. J. liii, 300.) See U. S. Disp. 

WHITE ELM, ( Ulmus Americana, Mx.) Vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; N. C. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 799 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 
611; Phil. Med. Mus. 11. The U. fulva probably referred to. 

The wood of the white elm, like that of the common Euro- 
pean elm, is of a dark brown ; and cut transversely, or obliquely 
to the longitudinal fibres, it exhibits the same numerous and 
fine undulations, but it splits more easily and has less compact- 
ness. It is, however, used at the North for the naves of coach- 
wheels, because it is difficult to procure the black gum. In 
Maine it is used for the keels of vessels. Its bark is said to be 
easily detached during eight months of the year; soaked in 



353 

water and suppled by pounding, it is used in the Northern 
States for the bottoms of common chairs. Miehaux, 

WAHOO, (Ulmus alata, Mx.) Rich soils; Florida; South 
and North Carolina. 

The wood is fine grained, more compact, heavier and stronger 
than that of the American white elm. It is employed for coach- 
wheels, and is even preferred to the black gum, as being more 
hard and tough. Miehaux. Farmer's Encyc. 

The following statement has been published: 

" Wahoo Rope. — We have seen a specimen of rope made of 
wahoo bark, by Mr. T. J. Howard, of this county. He has 
used the wahoo rope with great success in bagging cotton, and 
we can safely recommend his contrivance to the attention of 
planters. The common impression is that the bark is not in 
good condition, except in the spring of the year. This is a 
mistime. It can be used to great advantage at this season in 
bagging cotton. The manner of using the rope made of wahoo 
bark is altogether similar to that which has been in ordinary 
use." 

SUGAE-BEERY ; HACKBEREY, {Celtis occidentalis, L.) A 
noble tree, growing along the mai'gin of streams and in damp 
lands; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. 
Fl. June. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 170 ; Fl. Med. i, 90 ; Grif- 
fifth, Med. Bot. 563. It yields a gum resembling that of the 
cherry tree ; the root and leaves are somewhat aromatic, and 
were used by the Indians in syphilis. The berries have a sweet 
and pleasant taste. 

The wood of this tree resembles closely, says Wilson, that of 
the C. australis. The timber of the latter is exceedingly dura- 
ble, and was formerly employed by British coach-makers for 
making the frames of their vehicles; and by the Italian musical 
instrument-makers for making flutes and pipes. Eural Cyc. 

MYEICACE.E. {The Gale Tribe.) 

Aromatic and sometimes astringent. 

WAX MlETLE,; BAYBEEEY, {Mijrica cerifera, L.) Grows 
abundantly in the swamps^f the lower country; Newbern. 
Fl. May. 
23 



354 

Ell. Bot. .Med. Notes, ii, 27S; Matson's Yeg. Pract. 1118; U. S. 
Disp. 200; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap, 78(5 ; Biir. Am. Med. Pot. 
iii, 32 ; Am. Journal Med. Sei. ii, 313; Bergii, Mat. Med. ii, 541 ; 
Nicholson's Journal, iv, 187 ; Kalnvs Travels, i, 120 ; Dana in 
Silliman's Journal 1; Thacher's U. S. Disp. 288; Mor. ami de 
L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 531; Pe Cand. Kssai, 772; Pind. Nat. 
Syst. Bot. 180. The root is a powerful astringent, and a decoc- 
tion is employed in diarrhoea, dysentery, hemorrhage from the 
uterus, in dropsies which succeed fevers, and as a gargle in sore 
throat. It is also given to some extent by the vegetable prac- 
titioners. Griffith states (Med. Bot. 583^ that the bark of the 
root is also stimulant and acrid, and in doses of a drachm causes 
a sensation of heat in the stomach followed by vomiting and 
sometimes diuresis. The powder is an ftctivo errhino, and the 
leaves have some celebrity in domestic practice, as being anti- 
spasmodic, anti-scorbutic and astringent. Dr. Dana found the 
powdered root powerfully sternutatory, liigelow says that the 
bark and leaves contain gallic acid, tannin, resin and a small 
quantity of mucilage. The berries atford a large amount of 
wax, which rises to the surface when they are boiled, not re- 
markable for adhesiveness or unetuosity. Dr. Bostock consid- 
ers it a tixed, vegetable oil, rendered concrete by oxygen ; and 
by the experiments of Dr. Dana, it coi\stitutes one-third of the 
whole berry. It is emplo3'ed for candles, emitting a fragrant 
odor, and it also forms the basis of a tine soap. It appeai-s to 
possess some astringent and slightly narcotic properties, and 
has been administered by Dr. Fahnestock in an epidemic of 
tvphoid dysentery. He gave it in doses of one to two drachms, 
and he is of opinion that its active principle resides in the green 
coloring matter. Am. Journal Med. Sci. ii, 313. Eatinesque states 
that a tincture of the berries, with heracleum, is beneficial in 
flat\ilent colic. De Cand., Essay upon the Louisiana Myrtle, (in 
French ;) see Ann. de Chim. xliv, 141, and xlvi, 77 ; C. L. Cadet, 
Mem. on the Myrtle of Louisiana and Pennsylvania, Paris ; 
Thiebault de Bernaud, Mem. sur le cirier, on abre a cire, Paris, 
1810. See my own experiments upon the applicability of the 
leaves as a substitute for oak bark, under " Li<2tiidambar," swe^ti 
gum. 

Dr. Wood, U. S. Disp., 12th Ed... s^^iys that a volatile oil might 
probahh' be collectv^d from the leaves by distillation, and used 



i'<)V Himil.'ir piir))OH''>H (o iIiohc to wl)i<;li oil of pirnoiilo i< a))|tlic<l, 
'J'lic )»ovv(it,i' oC tli(} b:irk liiiH a pociiliai" aromatic o<Joi' and irri- 
tut(;h i,li(j noHtrilH atid tliroal whan iiilialed. ItyicldM its virtues 
i.o watfir and alcohol. Chemically cxarained by Mr. G. M. 
Ilatnhri^lit it waH f'odrid to contain volatile oil, Ktarch, li^nin, 
^iim. aU^urticn, extractive, a red colorinj^ Hubhtance, tannic and 
gallic acidw, an acrid renin Holuble in alcohol and not in ether, 
and a ))ecijliar acrid principle having acid propertic/s, analagouH 
to xrrponin, for which the name of myricinic acid in jiroposed. 
CAm. J, J^harm., May, 1803.) The Eclectics line the bark in 
di:irrh<ca, jaundice, scrofula, etc., and an alcoholic extract 
jippropriafely called myricin, in given in doKCH of about live 
grairiH. The done of the powder* is about thirty grains, of a 
d<i(octioti mad<; with an ounce of the powdered baik to a pint 
of watei'; tljc doh<j is on<5 or two fiuid ounccH. U. S. I>isp. 

"'I'Ue northern nations fornnjrly eni[doyed this plant in place 
of hops, and it is still in use for that purpose in som(i of the 
western isles; unless it is boiled a long time it is rej»orte<l to 
occasion headache." Nicholson also says, in Ids Enc^clopoidia, 
of the M. cerip'/ra, that "it is used in tanidng calf-skins; gath- 
ered in autumn, it will dye wool yellow, for which purpose it is 
used both in Sweden and in Wales ; the Welsh lay branchcn of 
it upon atid under their beds to keep off fleas and moths." 
Hoiissingault, in his iiural Chemistry applied to Agricultun*, 
1859, says of the wax-bearing myrtle: "The fruit yields as 
iriuch as twenty-five per cent, of wax, and a single shrub will 
yield from twenty-four to thirty jjounds of beiries. The crude 
wax is green and brittle, and to be made into candles requires 
the addition of a certain quantity of grease." Proust diKco\- 
ered that vegetable wax formed part of the green fecula of 
man}' plants. In the common cabbage it occurs in large quan- 
tity. Oleine is said to predominate in the fluid vegetable oiln. 
See, on this subject, Queen's Delight, (Styllimjia sehifera.) The 
berries of the Pride of India {Melia) also yield an oil when dried 
and boiled. Wax has also been collected by scraping the stalk 
of the sugar-cane. See " Sorghum," in this volume. 

I have repeatedly seen the wax produced from the myrtle in 
large amounts. The berries are boiled, and the wax rises on 
the surface of the water. The boiling should be continued a 
long time, and the berries stirred and bruised. The wax may 



356 

be remelted to purify it. Four pounds of this will make forty 
pounds of poap. The candles made of it are dark green in 
color. Candles and soap were made in considoi-able amounts 
during the war by those residing in the low countiy of South 
Carolina. 

Wilson, in his Eural Cyc, quotes Hamilton, who says that 
the wax, after being skimmed off the water, should be strained 
through a coarse cloth to free it from foreign matter. When no 
more wax rises, the berries are removed with a skimmer and a 
fresh supply put into the same water, taking care to add boiling 
water to supply the place of that evaporated during the pro- 
cess. The wax should be dried, and melted again to free it 
from impurity. See Charles Louis Cader's Memoir, inserted 
in the Annales do Chimie, who said that the myrtle had been 
successfully cultivated near Berlin, and Hamilton recommends 
its cultivation in England for its wax-producing properties. 

In F. S. Holmes' Southern Farmer, p. 236, is the following : 

Large amount of Soap produced from Myrtle Wax. — I find the 
following recipe for making soap fi'om myrtle wax (Mi/rica 
ceriferd) in an old number of the Southern Agriculturist. As 
one of the complaints of soap-makers is the difficulty and ex- 
pense of obtaining the grease, it will be well for us to avail 
ourselves of a production of nature, found abundantly in our 
lower country. The fruit is now matured, and may be had in 
abundance for the picking. I have seen very good candles 
made of myrtle wax. I trust our planters, residing in the 
vicinity of the myrtle, will profit by these advantages before 
the season for picking has passed : 

"To three bushels and a half of common wood ashes add half 
a bushel of unslaked lime. This being well mixed together, put 
into a cask capable of containing sixty gallons and fill up with 
water. In forty-eight hours the lye will be strong enough to 
float an egg. Then draw off, and put from six to eight gallons 
of it into a copper kettle capable of containing twenty-five gal- 
lons. To this add only four pounds of myrtle wax. Keep con- 
stantly boiling for six hours. For the first three or four hours 
pour in occasionally a supply of strong lye, the whole frequently 
well stirred with a ladle. After six hours boiling, throw two 
quarts of common large grain salt into the kettle ; leave one 
hour more to simmer over a slow fire. The liquor must be 



357 

j)luoe<I in tubs to cool for twenty-four hours. Take out tlie soap, 
wipe it clean ; put it to dry, 

"The produce of this soap when it was weighed the next 
day was found to be forty-nine pounds of good, solid soap, from 
the materials and by the process above mentioned. At the end 
of six weeks the soap had only lost a few pounds from the 
cvapoi'ation of its watery particles. 

"In many parts of our State the myrtle tree is abundant, 
and from three pecks to a bushel may be gathered from a hand 
])er day," 

There have been recent orders from the North for several 
thousand pounds of the wax, (1868.) 

Since my examination and recommendation of the mj'rtle 
leaves as a tanninii'erous agent, I see that it has been used by 
Mr. J. Commins, of Charleston, in tanning leather. He states 
that j^e used it extensively during the war and found it to 
answer all the purposes required. 

I had observed, also, an unusual amount of astringency in 
the berries of the myrtle. The water in which they are boiled, 
with copperas, is used as a dye. I have seen an excellent dark 
brown obtained with very little copperas. If walnut leaves, 
bark, or the rind of the fruit is added the color is very black. 
I am informed in St. John's Berkeley, S. C, that a blue dye is 
obtained without a mordant, by using the same water repeated- 
ly in boiling the berries for the extraction of the wax! This 
seems an unexpected result. 

Myrica Caroiinensis. Grows in dry soils; Eichland; collected 
in St. John's; Newbern. 

Griffith's Med. Bot. 583. Supposed to possess similar prop- 
erties with the above. It can scarcely be distinguished from 
the others. 

FEEN BUSH; SWEET FERN, (Comptonia asplenifolia, Ait.) 
Mts. of North Carolina and northward. An aromatic astringent 
used by Barton and others as a pleasant drink in the summer 
complaints of children, Shoepf says on the authority of Colden, 
that chewing the root will check a spitting of blood, and that it 
is useful in rachitis and the debility following fevers. Griffith. 

JUGLANDACP]^. (The Walnut Tribe.) 
BUTTERNUT; OIL-NUT, (Juglans cinerea,Jj.) Grows in 
the mountains of South and North Carolina. Fl. April. 



358 

IT. S. Disj). 710 ; Archives Gen. 3c seric, x, 399, and xi, 40; 
Frost'8 Elcms. Mul. Med. 131. '■ The inner bark of the rool. af- 
fords one of the most mild and efficient hixatives we possess." 
The extract was a favorite remedy in General Marion's camp 
during ihe Eevolutionary war. It is very efficacious in hab- 
itual constipation, in doses often to thirty grains; the tirst 
acting as a laxative, the maximum purging. Big. Am. Med 
Bot. ii, 115; Mx. N. Am. Sylva, 160; where it is spoken of as a 
mild cathartic, operating without pain or irritation, and re- 
sembling rhubarb in its property of evacuating without debili- 
tating the alimentary canal. Dr. Rush employed it during the 
Avar. Wood says it is highly esteemed in dysentery' ; Lind. Nat, 
Syst. 181. The rind of the fruit and the skin of the kernel are 
exiremely astringent, anthelmintic and cathartic; the oil ex- 
tracted from the fruit is of a very drj-ing nature. Mer. and do 
L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 687, (J. cathartica.') He remarks that 
the inner bark of the root is acrid and caustic, and purges, but 
occasions neither heat nor irritation ; adapted to bilious consti- 
tutions and to dysentery ; often combined with calomel. It is 
given to animals in a disease called '-yellow water;" Bull, des 
Sci. Med. Fer. xii, 338. To extract the cathartic principle, the 
bark is boiled in water for several hours; remove the extraneous 
matter and boil down liie decoction to the consistence of honey 
or molasses — pills may be made of this. A s^-rup may also be 
made. The bark is strongest in the early summer. The pow- 
dered leaves are rubefacient, and act as a substitute for can- 
tharides. Coxe, Am. Disp. 365. The bark of the branches af- 
fords a large quantity of soluble matter, chiefly of the extractive 
kind, water seeming to be a solvent. Wetherill found in it fixed 
oil, resin, saccharine matter, lime, potash, a peculiar principle, 
and tannin. Dr. B. S. Barton, in his Collections, 23, 32, thinks 
it is possessed of some anodyne property. Dr. Gray ascertained 
that four trees, eight to ten inches in diameter, produced in one 
day nine quarts of sap, from which was made one pound and a 
quarter of sugar, equal, if not superior to that produced from 
the maple. This plant is always given in the form of extract or 
decoction. Griffith's Med. Bot. 589 ; Thacher's Disp. 245 ; Eush's 
Med. Obs. i, 112; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 767 ; Lind. Med. 
Fl. 387. The wood of the butternut is used for the sleepers and 
.posts of frame houses and barns, for posts and rail fences, 
troughs for cattle, etc. For corn-shovels and wooden dishes it 



359 

is preferred to the red flowering maples, because it is lighter and 
less liable to si^lit ; consequently, hollow-ware and other articles 
made of it sell at higher prices. In Vermont the wood is used 
for the panels of coaches and chaises, being well adapted for this 
purpose, not only for its lightness, but because it is not liable to 
split. It receives paint in a superior manner, its pores being 
very open, more so than poplar and basswood. Mx. Am. Sylva; 
Farmer's Encyc. 

BLACK WALNUT, {Juglans nigra, L.) Diffused in lower 
and upper country of South and North Carolina; Newbern. Fl. 
June. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 687; Griffith, Med. Bot. vi, 
89. The bark is styptic and acrid ; the rind of the unripe fruit 
is said to remove i-ing-worms and tetter ; and the decoction is 
given with success as a vermifuge. " A kind of bread is ob- 
tainqil from the fruit." In a communication received I'rom J. 
Douglas, M. D., of Chester District, South Carolina, his corres- 
pondent, Mr. McKeown, informs me that a bit of lint, dipped 
in the oil of the walnut kernel and applied to an aching tooth, 
is an effectual palliative ; he has employed it for thirty years 
with great satisfaction. 

The following appeared in one of the journals dui*ing the year 
1861: 

Walnut leaves in the treatment of Diseases. — Dr. Negries, phy- 
sician at Anglers, France, has published a statement of his suc- 
cess in the treatment of scrofulous disease in different forms by 
preparations of walnut leaves. He has tried walnut leaves for 
ten years, and of fifty six patients, afflicted in different forms, 
thirty-one were completely cured, and there were only four who 
appeared to have obtained no advantage. The infusion of the 
walnut tree leaves is made by cutting them and infusing a good 
pinch between the thumb and forefinger in half a pint of boiling 
water, and then sweetening it with sugar. To a grown person, 
M. Negries prescribed from two to three teacupsful of this 
daily. This medicine is a slightly aromatic bitter; its efficiency 
is nearly uniform in scrofulous disorders, and it is stated never 
to have caused any unpleasant effects. It augments the activity 
of the circulation and digestion, and to the functions iniijarts 
much energy. It is supposed to act upon the lymphatic system, 
as under its influence the muscles become firm, and the skin ac- 
quires a ruddier bue. 



360 

Dry leaves may bo used throughout the winter, but a pyrup 
made of green leaves is more aromatic. A salve made of a 
strong extract of the leaves mixed alone with clean lard and a 
few drops of the oil of bergamot is most excellent for sores. A 
strong decoction of the leaves is excellent for washing them. 
The salutary effects of this medicine do not appear on a sud- 
den — no visible effect may be noticed for twenty days, but per- 
severance in it will effect a cure. As walnut tree leaves are 
abundant in America, and as the extract of them is not dan- 
gerous or unpleasant to use, and scrofula not uncommon, a ti'ial 
of this simple medicine should be made. In directing attention 
to it good results may be expected. 

A gray dye may be prepared with young, unripe walnuts. The 
walnuts should be beaten in a mortar, boiled with water — the 
yarn is previously prepared with lye water. See '' Rhus" 
I obtain the following from a journal, (1862:) 
To Dye Wool Yarn a Durable Black without Copperas. — Place 
in a kettle a layer of walnut leaves, then a layer of yarn, then 
a layer of leaves and another of yarn, and so on till the kettle 
is full ; pour on water till all is covered, and boil all day. The 
next morning pour off the liquor into another vessel, and put 
fresh leaves with the yarn in layers as before, and pour the 
same liquor over it and boil again all day. Then hang the yarn 
in the air a few days, after which wash it and it will be a fine 
black. 

The walnut leaves should be gathered in the autumn jusl as 
they begin to fall from the trees. 

Both the black and white walnut possess a durable wood, and 
are secure from the annoyance of worms. The stem of the 
black walnut is easily perforated, and like the titi {Cb'ftonia) is 
much used for pipe-stems among the soldiers in camp. The fig 
is also used for the same purpose. 

At a Convention of Gunsmiths, held at Atlanta, Ga., August 
29, 1861, some facts were elicited which are interesting in this 
connection : 

Mr. Hodgkins, a gunsmith, stated " that the greatest diflS- 
culty was to get wood for the stocks ; that wood of one or two 
years was not sufficiently seasoned. It ought to be cut twenty 
years. The bark should be taken off the tree at once. Some 
thought it best to cut the timber in the summer, others in the 



3G1 

fall or winter." Gen. Wayne road tlie following from the Ord- 
nance Manual : 

"Tlie most suitable season for felling timber is that in which 
vegetation is at rest, which is the case in midwinter or mid- 
summer. Kecent experiments incline to give the preference to 
the latter season — say the month of July ; but the usual prac- 
tice is to fell trees for timber between the first of December 
aud the middle of March." 

"Gen. Wayne, on being inquired of, gave it as his opinion 
that there was no artificial process of seasoning wood that 
would answer for making gunstocks. 

" Mr. Esther said that maple timber could be seasoned rapidly 
by being boiled in oil. It prevented its cracking. It soon sea- 
soned thoroughly, and would not spring, 

" Mr. Lamb stated that walnut was the best for stocking 
guns,*but harder to season. It required a great number of 
years — say twenty years, or nearly so. Maple was next, and 
persimmon the next. These could be seasoned by artificial 
process." 

The reader will find some information on the felling of timber 
in Wilson's Rural Cyc. The fruit is edible, and pleasant to tbe 
taste. The wood is very compact and durable, with a black, 
fine grain, susceptible of a high polish, and forming a valuable 
substitute for mahogany, from which, when seasoned and var- 
nished, it can scarcely be distinguished. It is much used in the 
South in the manufacture of tables, stair-railings and the inner 
work of houses. The writer has seen as beautiful book-cases, 
tables, stair-railings and cabinet-work made from the wood pre- 
pared on our Southern plantations, when well seasoned, as any 
imported from elsewhere. The roots, particulai-ly those of old 
trees which have died, have a peculiarly rich black color, and 
are useful in making furniture and gunstocks. 

The trunk of a walnut tree, tapped on the 11th February, 
yielded a sap containing some cane sugar. The saps of the 
sycamore, of the Acer negundo, and of the lilac tree, contained 
the sa7ne species of sugar; but that of the birch tree held in 
solution some grape sugar. In the sycamore and birch tree M. 
Biot observed an extremely interesting fact. He ascertained, 
on felling these trees, that the greater portion of the descending 
sap was accumulated toward the middle of the trunk. That of 



3152 

Iho birch Iroe ^va^ ao'ul and saocluvriiio; the j^ap of that porlion 
of the trunk whiih was buried in the ground contained no 
sugar, but a substance possessing the principal characters of 
gum. v^Annales ilu Museum d'Histoii'e Ilsaturelle, t. ii.) It ■was 
probably an etTect of the season, for Knight states that he 
never eouhl discover the knist trace of saccharine matter during 
winter in the alburnum either of the stem or of the roots of the 
S3-camore. Boussingault's Eural Econ. in its relation to Chem- 
istry, etc.. Law's edition, 1S57. 

"Walnut leaves soaked in water for some hours, then boiled 
and applied to the skins of horses and other animals, will pre- 
vent their being bitten or worried by flies. 

In Patent Otfice Heporis, 1S55, is a paper on the Persian wal- 
nut, or Madeira nut, {Juglans regia,) which appears to be well 
ailapted to the climate of the Middle or Southern States. Ii 
produces an immense amount of oil and cake. It is preferred 
to linseed oil, and gives an excellent light. The husk of the 
walnut is used in dyeing woollen stufts. 

IIICKOKY, i^Ciinja amani, porcin<j, alba, etc.) Ell. Sk. The 
barks are astringent. Mr. Fred. Stearns, of Detroit, has called 
attention to the bark of the several species of Hickory, in his 
paper on the raeiiical plants of Michigan, published in the 
Proc. Am. Pharm. Assoc, 1859, p. 249. Mr. Chaffinbury, of the 
same State, had found great advantage from chewing the inner 
bark in dyspepsia, and has used a tincture made from the same 
bark in intermittent fever. Many in the neighborhood used it, 
the infusion also being found equally etfectual. U. S. Disp., 12th 
Ed. 

A dye for woollens used on the plantation is made from that 
of most of the species. The fruit of many of the hickory trees 
is pleasant to the taste, particularly the C. alba, shell-bark 
hickory, which is an article of trade. It should be spared in 
clearing land. 

To color yelloic. — '' Take three-fourths of hickory bark, with 
the outside shaved off, and one-fourth of black oak bark done 
in the same manner; boil thera well together in a bell metal 
kettle until the color is deep; then add alum sutRcient to make 
it foam when stirred up, then put the yarn in and let it simmer 
a little while ; take it out and air it two or three times, having 
a pole over the kettle to hang it on, so that it may drain in the 



1<(-Lll(!; wlieii dry ririKO it in cold vvatcj'." Tiiorriton'H Souilicrn 
<^;urdcncr, \). 182. lIi('l<o)'y hark with sugar makes a good yel- 
low dye for wool without coiJpLras. The writer haw seen negro 
ciotheH and other stuffrf dyed on the plantations with either 
hickory or oak barks, cither alunri or commercial copperas being 
used. The crab-apple dyes a canary color. The hickory baik, 
with coppei'as, d3'e.s yain.s an olive color — w ith alum, a green — 
the yarns must be put in hot. The wood of the hickory fields 
a viivy fine lye wlien reduced to ashes, and I will include much 
that is said of soap under this genus. The wood is also valuable 
foi' many purposes in the mechanical arts on account of its 
weight, jjIiabiliL}', toughness and dui-ability. In Georgia and 
the Carolinas split hickory is used in making chair bottoms and 
plantation baskets. In Pennsylvania an oil is extracted from 
the nuts of the C. aviara, butternut hickory, which is used for 
the la^)]), and for other inferior pui'poses. I would suggest that 
the nuts of any species would serve, if broken and boiled, for 
the manufacture of soap; sultjected to the test of experiment, 
however, 1863, 1 could not extract the oil after boiling the broken 
nuts several hours. I insert the following from Michaux : • 

^'Properties and vses of hickory wood. — The wood of all the 
species of hickory bears a striking resemblance, both as to fibre 
and the uniform i-eddish color of the heart. It possesses great 
weight, strenglh and unusual pliability and toughness. "When 
exposed to heat and moisturu it is subject to rapid decay, and 
is peculiarl}- liable to injury from w^orms. 

" Throughout the Middle States it is selected for the axle-trees 
of carriages, for the handles of axes and other carpenters' tools, 
and for large screws, particularly those of book-binders' presses. 
The cogs of mill-wheels are made of hickor}' heart, thoroughly 
seasoned ; but it is proper only for sutdi wheels as are not ex- 
posed to moisture ; and for this reason some other wood is by 
many millwrights preferred. The rods which form the backs 
of Windsor chairs, coach-whip handles, musket-stocks, rakc- 
teeth, flails for threshing grain, the bows of yokes, or the ellip- 
tical pieces which pass under the necks of cattle: all these are 
objects customarily made of hickory. At Baltimore it is used 
for the hoops of sieves, and is more esteemed than the white- 
oak, which is equally clastic, but more apt to peel off in small 
shreds into the substance sifted. In the country near Augusta, 



364 

in Georgia, 1 have remarked that the common chairs are of 
hickory wood. In New Jersey it is employed for shoeing 
sledges — that is, for. covering the runners or parts which slide 
upoD the snow ; but to be proper for this use it must have been 
cut long enough to have become perfectly dr3^ 

" Of the numerous trees of North America east of the Alle- 
ghany Mountain-^, none except the hickory is perfectly adapted 
to the making of hoops for casks and boxes. For this purpose 
vast quantities of it are consumed at home and exported to 
the West India Islands. The hoops are made of young hicko- 
ries from six to twelve feet high, without choice as to the spe- 
cies. The largest hoop-poles sold at Philadelphia and New 
York in February, 1808, at three dollars a hundred. Each pole 
is split in two parts, and the hoop is crossed and confined by 
notches, instead of being bound at the end with twigs, like 
those made of chestnut. From the solidity of the wood, this 
method appears sufficiently secure. 

" When it is considered how large a part of the productions 
of the United States is packed for exportation in barrels, an 
estimate may be formed of the necessary consumption of hoops. 
In consequence of it, j'oung trees proper for this object have 
become scarce in all parts of the country which have been long 
settled. The evil is greater, as they do not sprout a second 
time from the same root, and as their growth is slow. The 
cooper.canuot lay up a store of them for future use, for unless 
employed within a j'car, and often within six months after being 
cut, they are attacked b}^ two species of insect, one of which 
eats within the wood and commits the greatest ravages. 

" The defects which unfit the hickory for use in the building 
of houses equally exclude it from the construction of vessels. 
At New York and Philadelphia, the shell-bark and pignut hick- 
ories have been taken for keels, and are found to last as long as 
those of other wood, owing to their being always in the water. 
Of the two species, the pignut would be preferable, as being 
less liable to split, but it is rarely found of as large dimensions 
as the other. 

" In sloops and schooners the rings by which the sails are 
hoisted and confined to the mast are always of hickory. I have 
also been assured that for attaching the cordage it makes excel- 
lent pegs, which ax'e stronger than those of oak ; but they 



365 

should be set loosely in the holes, as otherwise, for want of 
speedily seasoning, they soon decay. For handspikes the hick- 
ory is particularly esteemed on account of its strength; it is 
accordingly employed in most American vessels, and is ex- 
ported for the same purpose to England, where it sells from 
50 to 100 per cent, higher than ash, which is brought also from 
the north of the United States. The hickories are cut without 
distinction for this use, but the pignut, I believe, is the best. 

" All the hickories are very heavy, and in a given volume 
contain a great quantity of combustible matter. They produce 
an ardent heat, and leave a heavy, compact and long-lived coal. 
In this respect no wood of the same latitude in Europe or 
America can be compared to them; such, at least, is the opinion 
of all Europeans wlio have resided in the United States. 

" It has been seen by what precedes that though hickory -svood 
has essential defects, they are compensated by good properties 
vt^hich render it valuable in the arts." 

In concluding this article, Michaux recommends particularly 
for propagation in European forests the shell-bark hickory and 
the pignut hickory, whose wood unites in the highest degree the 
valuable properties of the group. He thinks, also, that the 
pecannut merits attention from pi'omoters of useful culture, not 
so much for its wood as for its fruit, which is excellent, and more 
delicate than that of the European walnut. It might probably 
be doubled in size, if the practice was successfully adopted of 
grafting this species upon the black walnut, or upon the common 
European walnut. 

Oak and hickory bands for cotton hales. — A tie dispensing with 
the use of iron or rope bands in bailing cotton has been patented. 
The editor of the Southern Field and Fireside says on this sub- 
ject: "Precisely such 'ties' have been used to fasten strong 
hoops on tubs in distilleries and breweries a longer time than any 
living man can remember. Thirty years ago we made a score of 
large tubs for tanning leather, and tied the staves together (made 
of two-inch plank) as above described, save the teeth on the iron 
rings or bands. The fastening is very simple and perfectly 
reliable. A small iron ring, formed like the capital letter D, is 
used. It should hold both ends of a hoop two inches wide, 
each end being a half-inch in thickness ; and also a wedge three- 
fourths of an inch thick. Such a hoop, made of oak, ash or 



366 

hickory, will have more than four timo3 the strength of the 
rope usually ein])loyed in baling cotton. Green or sound wood 
is hard to break when pulled length u-ise. On our Southern 
plantations oak, hickory, ash and grape-vines are much used in 
place of rope in baling hay, fodder," etc. 

The following practical remarks on the manufacture of pot- 
ash and soap, I introduce here in connection with the hickory, 
from an editorial by Dr. Lee, in the Southern Field and Fire- 
side, January 18, 1862. (For "Soda," see '' Salsola," in this 
book, and " Quercus."') The ashes we may obtain by burning 
corn-cobs yield more potash than any other available substance ; 
and the alkali from this source is rapidly converted into salcra- 
tus or good soap. Corn-cobs are mentioned because we often 
see them wasted in quantities where hogs are fed and where 
much corn is shelled. Soap-makers at the North buy all kinds 
of wood-ashes, and find no difficulty in making soap from them ; 
but many Southern negroes, who make a little soap, do not un- 
derstand the art under consideration. They require ashes from 
hickory, walnut, poplar, or some other wood rich in potash to 
succeed in producing good soap. The quantity of lime named in 
the directions given in the article we copied is two or three 
times larger than it need be. A peck of recentl}'' slaked lime is 
abundant for a barrel of ashes. Lime that has been long slaked 
and exposed to the air will not answer. The object of the lime 
is to decompose all the carbonate of potash dissolved out of the 
ashes, so that the pure alkali will combine, with grease or oil, 
to form soap. When the amount of potash in wood is small, as 
in pines and decayed, wood the whole of the alkali unites with 
carbonic acid, or some other, if free, when the wood is burnt. 
When ashes are kept some time, if partly caustic when first 
burnt from wood they part with their causticity by imbibing 
carbonic acid from the atmosphere, as freshly burnt lime will 
do. Hence, recently burnt ashes will often make soap with- 
out lime, but will not do if kept several months. As caustic 
lime has a stronger affinity for carbonic acid than potash or 
soda has, soap-makers find no trouble whatever in making soap 
from old ashes, or any ashes that have not been wet and washed. 
Having stated the reason why lime is used, we will give the 
simplest and best practice in the art of combining potash with 
an animal or vegetable oil or fat, which chemical compound is 



367 

soap — soft if potasli is used, and hard if soda is used. Refuse 
barrels and hogsheads arc ofien used to drip and leacli ashes in, 
and sliould stand on boards or plank, so as not to waste the 
\ye. This done, a few inches of clean broom-straw should bo 
placed over all the bottom of the barrel and pressed down. For 
a hogshead of ashes, a good bushel of recently slaked lime 
should be spread evenly over all the straw ; but a peck of lime 
will do for a barrel of ashes. More lime will do no harm, and 
some ashes may require a little more. Now fill up the bari-el of 
ashes, pound them down moderately and pour on boiling water, 
or that which is hot, until the lye runs out at the bottom. If 
the ashes are good, this lye will make soap with very little 
boiling; but if the potash is too diluted, some of the water 
must be evaporated before the chemical union between the 
alkali and grease will take place. If too little givase is put 
in thej)ot or kettle, more must be added; and if there is too 
much for all to combine with the potash, the excess must be 
removed after the soap is cold. Where salt is cheap, it is 
largely used in the manufacture of bar soap. Turpentine and 
rosin are also used in this branch of business. The explana- 
tions in reference to soda and turpentine soap will be given 
elsewhere. Salt is at times too expensive to be used in soap- 
making. 

In an article on Soap and Potash from the Atlanta Common- 
Avealth, in the Southern Field and Fireside for October, 1861, 
great sti'ess is laid upon tlie ease with which we can manufac- 
ture potash in lax-ge quantity within the limits of the Southern 
States, and the consequent production of soap : " But whether 
we make our soap or establish manufactures, we need lye or 
potash in large quantities. To have this we must burn the light 
kind of wood, for some wood is better than other sorts, and we 
must save all the ashes and take good care of them. The ashes 
Should not only be saved for this purpose, but to be used as ma- 
nure. It is a shame that we have been so long and so willingly 
dependent on the North for so large a catalogue of the com- 
monest articles, and even for the article of soap." 

The following on the same subject is from the Eichmond Dis- 
patch, which I condense : "The great scarcity of Soap at the 
present time arises from the want of potash and soda ash. 
Either will make soap. The latter is found in its natural state 



Potato stem 55 lbs. 

Corn-stalks 17 " 

Oak bark and elm leaves 24 " 



368 

(natron') in Egypt and South America, but the principal supply 
has been obtained from Great Britain, procured by the burning 
of sea-weeds. The former (potash) is supplied mostly from 
Canada and the State of New York. There is in the Southern 
States any quantity of material to make potash, and I would 
call the attention of farmers to its production. It requires but 
a simple process in its manufacture — a few large iron pans and a 
half dozen whiskey barrels, with heads out, and an iron ladle, 
being all the apparatus required. 

" Most weeds furnish potash, in a greater or less degree, to 
every one hundred pounds. The following plants will furnish 
of potash : 

Oak wood 2h lbs. 

Wheat straw '. 4^ " 

Barley straw 5 " 

" These articles can be obtained by the farmers at little cost. 
Select a shaded position, gather in a large heap, set fire to it, 
keeping the fire up until several bushels of ashes are obtained; 
fill each barrel about one-quarter full of slaked lime; fill it then 
with water, stirring the ashes well; let it stand over night, or 
for about twelve hoia"s, stirring frequently; strain off the lye as 
clear as possible; pour in the kettles and evaporate over a wood 
fire. The kettle should be kept constantly full for two days, (a 
little experience will soon teach the quuntitj^ of lye it will re- 
quire to make them half full with potash.) The evaporation 
should be continued until the mass obtains the consistency of 
brown sugar ; then increase the fire, by which it will be fused ; 
continue it until quiescent and looks like melted iron ; with a 
ladle transfer it to iron pans or baking ovens, and allow it to 
cool ; it may be then broken in pieces and packed in tight boxes 
or bari-els. The experiment will pay well any enterprising 
farmer. The article cannot now be obtained at any cost, and 
can be sold at a high rate. We hope this may induce some to 
try it. The expense of fixtures is small. Pine wood furnishes 
but little potash," 

Ure, in his Dictionary of Science and Man u fact ui-es, art. 
Potash, p. 457, says : In America where timber is in many places 
an incumbrance upon the soil, it is felled, jjiled up in pyramids 
and burned, solely with a view to the manufacture of potashes. 
The ashes are put into wooden cisterns having a plug at the 



369 



bottom of one of the sides under a false bottom; a moderate 
quantity of water is then poured on the mass, and some quick- 
lime is stirred in; after standing for a few hours, so as to take 
up the soluble matter, the clear liquor is drawn off, evaporated 
to dryness in iron pots, and finally fused at a red heat into com- 
pact masses, which are gray on the outside, and pink-colored 
within. All kinds of vegetables do not yield, he adds, the same 
proportions of potassa. The more succulent the plant, the 
more does it afford; for it is only in the juices that the vege- 
table salts reside, which are converted by incineration into al- 
kaline matter. Herbaceous weeds are more productive of pot- 
ash than the graminiferous species, or shrubs, and these than 
trees ; and for a like reason twigs and leaves are more produc- 
tive than timber. But plants in all cases are richest in alkaline 
salts when they have arrived at maturity. The soil in which 
they grow, also, influences the quantity of saline matter. The 
following table exhibits the average product in potassa of sev- 
eral plants, according to the researches of Yauquelin. Pertuis, 
Kirwan and DeSaussure : 



In 1000 parts 

Potassa. 

Pine or fir 0.45 

Poplar 0.75 

Trefoil 0.75 

Beech wood 1.45 

Oak 1.53 

Boxwood 2.26 

Willow 2.85 

Elm and maple 3 90 

Wheat straw 3.9C 

Bark of oak twis:s...4.20 



In 1000 parts I In 1000 parts 

Potassa. Potassa. 

Thistles 5.00 Bastard chamomile — 

Flag stems 5.00| Anthemiscoiula, 11.19.06 

Small rushes 5.08jSunflower stalks 20.00 

Vine roots 5.50|Common nettle 25.03 

Barley straw 5.80IVetch plant 27.50 

Dry beech bark G.OOlThistles, full gro'th. 35.37 

Fern 6.26 

Large rush 7.22 

Stalk of maize 17.15 

Bean stalks 20.00 



Dry straw of wheat 

before earing 47.00 

W^ormwood 73.00 

Fumitory 79.00 

Stalks of tobacco, potatoes, chestnut-husks, broom-heath, 
furze, tansy, sorrel, vine leaves, beet leaves, orach and many 
other plants abound in potash salts. In Burgundy the well 
known cendres gravelees are made by incinerating the lees of 
wine pressed into cakes and dried in the sun; the ashes contain 
fully sixteen per cent, of potassa. To manufacture carbonate of 
potassa, chlorate, etc., from ashes, see, also, lire's Dictionary. 
The corn-shuck and cob contain potash, and an economical soap 
is made from corn-shucks. See "Zea," in this volume. 

Count Chaptal, "Chemistiy applied to Agriculture," p 290, 
refers to the method of using economy in washing and bleach- 
ing cloths, linen, etc., by a soapy liquor, a solution of oil and 
24 



370 

soda, in place of ordinary soap. He also introduces and de- 
scribes a plan for washing and cleansing household linen and 
cotton yarn by steam from alkaline solutions. The expense is 
three-sevenths of the expense of the common method. 

I introduce the following from Chaptal's Chemistry applied 
to Agriculture, as it shows the very different composition of 
different plants — the potato, for example : 

"It appears that the three earths which form the basis of the 
most fertile soil enter into the composition of plants. Berg- 
mann has proved this by an analysis of several kinds of grain, 
and Euckert, by the results of his experiments upon a variety 
of vegetable productions, in a way to put it beyond doubt. 
About one hundred parts of ashes well leached, and conse- 
quently disengaged of all their salts, yielded : 

Silica. Lime. Alutnina. 

Ashes of wheat 48 37 15 

" oats 68 26 6 

" barley 69 16 15 

" rye 63 21 16 

" potatoes 4 66 30 

" red clover 37 33 30" 

"Soft soaps" says Ure, "are usually made in this country 
with whale, seal, olive and linseed oils, and a certain quantity 
of tallow; on the Continent, with the oils of hemp-seed, sesame 
(be7ie, which is planted in the Southern States,) rapeseed, lin- 
seed, poppy-seed and colza, or with mixtures of several of these 
oils. When tallow is added, as in Great Britain, the object is 
to produce white and somewhat solid grains of stearic soap in 
the transparent mass, called figging, because the soap then re- 
sembles the granular texture of a 'fig-'" "The potash lyes 
should be made perfectly caustic, and of at least two different 
strengths," etc. See Ure, p. 668, for method. Any of the seeds 
of our oily plants, the cultivation of which I have so often rec- 
ommended, can be pressed in a flannel bag in an ordinary cotton 
press. If the pressure is exercised in a warm room heated by 
a stove, the escape of the oil will be much facilitated. 

A lye made of wood ashes will stop the rust in wheat, if the 
seeds are soaked in it before being planted for two or thi'ee 
hours. It is a useful substitute at this time for the brine which 
is usually made of sulphate of copper or salt. 



371 

As the Concentrated Lye may be made from ashes, I am in- 
duced to insert the following on this all-important subject. 
Eesin is abundant in the Southern States, and vegetable wax 
and oils can be obtained. See " Ifyrica" and bene, (" Sesamum."') 
See method of preparing concentrated lye under white oak, 
" Quercus alba," in this volume. 

Yellow or Rosin Soap. — Dissolve one pound of concentrated 
lye in one half gallon of water and set it aside ; heat in a kettle 
one gallon of water and three and a half pounds of fat or tal- 
low, and commence to make the soap just as above for hard 
soap, with small quantities of lye and a very small fire, until 
the soap is ready for salt, but add no salt. Put in now one and 
three-fourth pound of powdered rosin, and let it boil down by 
constantly stirring until the soap sticks on the kettle and gets 
very thick. It is now finished, and may be put into a mould. 

H§rd Fancy Soap. — Dissolve one pound of the concentrated 
\yQ in two and a half pounds of hot water and let it cool; then 
melt by a low heat five pounds of clear fat or tallow, pour in 
the lye in a very small stream and stir it rapidly ; keep stirring 
until all has assumed the appearance of thick honey, and falls 
off the stirrer in large drops. , It is then finished. Cover it up 
and set the batch in a warm place ; or better, cover it with a 
woollen blanket to keep in the heat and let it stand for twenty- 
four hours, when it will have set in a fine, hard soap, which 
may be perfumed and variegated with colors by stirring the 
desired colors or perfumes into the mixture just before cover- 
ing. If lard or olive oil is used, no heating of the same is 
required. 

Soft Soap. — To one pound of the concentrated lye add three 
gallons of soft water, and four and one-half to five pounds of 
fat or tallow; boil until the mass gets transparent and all the 
fat has disappeared. Now add fifteen gallons of water, boil a 
few minutes and the soap will be ready for use. As soon as 
cold, it will be a perfect jelly. If too thick, add more water, 
which can be done to make the soap to any consistency desired. 
Twenty-five gallons of good soft soap can be made in this way 
out of one pound of the concentrated lye. 

Pump water is softened and made fit for washing as follows : 
dissolve one cake of the concentrated lye in one gallon of water, 
and keep it for use in a well-corked demijohn or jug. To a 



372 

tub full of pump or hard spring water add. from one-eighth of a 
gill to a pint of the clear solution ; the quantity of course varies 
according to the size of the tub and the nature of tlie water, 
some taking more and some less. A tablespoonful will gener- 
ally be found enough to make three to five gallons of water fit 
for washing. In all the above operations, it should be remem- 
bered to replenish the water which may evaporate while dis- 
solving the concentrated lye, or while boiling. 

Consult '' Salsola kali" for soda and soda soaps from ashes; 
also "oak," {Quercus alba,) for additional information. 

To make twenty pounds of cheap Soap from four pounds. — The 
Southern Field and Fireside directs: four pounds of turpentine 
soap, one-half pound of soda, add two gallons water, boil ten 
minutes, add a spoonful of salt and boil ten minutes more. 

Economy in the Use of Salt. — I insert the following for its 
utility in the periods of exigency : " Green wood contains some 
forty per cent, of its weight of moisture, which forms a watery 
vapor when burning; and even dry wood has over forty per 
cent, of the elements of water, oxygen and hydrogen that 
forms vapor when such wood is burnt. Coal consists mainly of 
the carbon in wood, which in burning forms a very drying heat. 
Most of our readers are familiar with the usual process of bar- 
becuing large pieces of meat over coals. If such meat were too 
high above the coal fire to roast, it would soon dry. When dry, 
a very little salt and smoking will keep it indefinitely. Like 
cured bacon, it should be packed in tight casks, and kept in a 
dry room. 

"After one kills his hogs, if he is short of salt, let him get 
the water out of the meat by drying it over burning coals as 
soon as possible, first rubbing it in a little salt. Shade trees 
around a meat-house are injurious by creating dampness. Dry 
meat with a coal fire after it is smoked. You may dislike to 
have meat so dry as is suggested, but your own observation will 
tell you that the dryest hams generally keep the best. Cer- 
tainly, sweet, dry bacon is far better than moist, tainted bacon, 
and our aim is simply to show how meat may be cured and long 
kept with a trifle of salt, when war has rendered the latter 
scarce and expensive." As this is an important question in 
every point of view, I will also cite 07i the manufacture of salt an 
elaborate article in the P. O. Reports, 1855, p. 143, by W. C. 



373 

Dennis, of Key West, Florida ; also P. O. Eeports, 1857, p. 133. 
Tlic mode of crystallizing, etc., is explained in a plain, practical 
manner, with wood-cuts of machinery. Evaporation through 
thorns, wood-shavings, etc., is described. 

PECAN; MISSISSIPPI NUT, {Garya olivceformis.) Culti- 
vated in the Atlantic States. 

I have observed it growing wild in Ward's swamp, St. John's 
Berkeley, S. C, in company with the C. myristicceformis or nut- 
meg hickory of Mx. No doubt the fruit was disseminated from 
neighboring plantations, where it is cultivated. The fruit of 
the plants of this order are favorite articles for table use in the 
Southern States. The pecannut is rich and nutritious, and the 
tree might be planted as a source of profit, as it is a rapid 
bearer, attaining a large size. 

Michaux advises that the shoots should, for the purposes of 
fruifing, be grafted on stalks of the common walnut tree. The 
tree abounds in upper Louisiana and Illinois. A swamp of 
eight hundred acres is said to exist on the right bank of the 
Ohio, opposite the Cumberland Eiver. The wood is coarse 
grained, heavy and compact. Michaux. 

SAURURACEiE. 

SAVAMP-DRAGON; LIZZARD'S TAIL, (Saururus Cernuus, 
L.) Grows in inundated soils; Richland; vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; Newbern ; and collected in St. John's, where the root is 
used, in the form of a poultice, in discussing tumors, and as an 
application in abscess of the breasts occurring after labor. It 
is thought by many to possess great value in this respect. In 
a note to Ell. Bot., 505, it is also said that the fresh root is 
applied with advantage as an emollient and discutient to in- 
flamed surfaces. After the frequent employment of the boiled 
roots of this plant beaten up and used as an economical material 
for poultices, I would particularly recommend it, as the roots 
can be abundantly and easily obtained in almost every swamp 
along the seaboard. Whether it is endowed or not with medici- 
nal properties it is a pleasant, soothing application, adapted to 
the wants of large bodies of soldiers in camp, or negroes on our 
plantations. I have employed it to promote suppuration in 
mammary abscess. Grease may be added to the mass. 



374 
SALTCACE^. {The Willow Tribe.) 

Bark generally astringent, tonic and stomachic. 

BLACK OE SWAMP WILLOW, {Salix nigra, L.) Grows 
along streams ; Eichland ; vicinity of Charleston ; collected in 
St. John's; Newbern. Fl. May. 

Bell's Pract. Diet. 403; U. S. Disp. 622. See work of younger 
Michaux, Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 337 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. vi, 185 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 583 ; Schcepf, Mat. Med. 
43 ; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, ii, 671. The willow^ is supposed to 
furnish us with one of the best substitutes for Peruvian bark ; 
the S. alba, which may be included among the many varieties 
found in the Southern States, and which are not yet accurately 
distinguished, seems to be held in high estimation. But this 
species, also, is considered valuable ; the bark possessing some 
power as a purgative, anti-intermittent and vermifuge. It also 
furnishes the principle called solicin, which, from the results of 
late experiments, is found to be much less valuable than quinia, 
but is a good bitter tonic. See Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. for 
the mode of preparation. The bark of the root and branches 
is officinal It is tonic and somewhat astringent. The decoc- 
tion made with one ounce of bark to one pint of boiling water, 
of which the dose is two fluid ounces, should be boiled ten 
minutes, and strained while hot. Dose of salicin from two to 
eight grains and increased. It might well attract attention as 
a substitute for quinine. The large stems of this tree are light 
and durable, and are used for the timbers of boats. 

There are several other species in the Southern States. The 
willow — osier willow, (see article in Farmer and Planter, Sept., 
1861,) is cultivated extensively in Germany, France and Bel- 
gium for making baskets, hats, screens, etc., etc. After most 
careful experiment it has been found that the best species to 
introduce into the Southern States for the purpose, are the 
Salix forbey ana, Salix purpurea, purple willow and Salix triandra, 
long-leaved willow. Forbes' willow is very productive and hardy, 
one of the most valuable species for common work, where un- 
peeled rods are used. It does not whiten well. 

Purple Willoiv. — Experiments have shown that this species 
is the most valuable and profitable for osiers in this country. 
With good ordinary culture its shoots wnll average ten feet in 



375 

length; will thrive best in deep, moist soil, where it will easily 
yield from four to five tons per acre of the most excellent rods, 
well qualified for the finest work. The purple willow, aside 
from being the most valuable for manufacturing all the finest 
kinds of willow-ware, is the best species for hedges, and is most 
extensively used for that purpose in Germany and Holland. 
The leaves and the bark being so very bitter will not be touched 
by cattle, while the shoots may be formed into any shape, and 
the hedge thereby made impregnable. Fine hedges or screens 
of twenty-five feet in height may be grown from willow cut- 
tings of this species in five years, thus aff"ording almost imme- 
diate shelter, so indispensable at all seasons of the year. We 
have seen, the writer adds, screens in Russia, of the willow, 
forty-feet high, surrounding parks from three to four hundi-ed 
acres in extent, affording the most perfect shelter against the 
sweejting winds and storms. Its soft, green and glossy foliage 
will make it an object of great beauty and attraction. 

The last mentioned, the Salix triandra, long-leaved willow, 
will grow with almost equal vigor in any soil of depth ; ripens 
its shoots very early and whitens beautifully ; is tough and 
pliable, and a general favorite with our German basket-makers 
for split-work. This willow is most extensively cultivated in 
Germany by the thousands of acres. Its cultivation is highly 
esteemed by the people and much encouraged by the govern- 
ment. 

Salix caprea, though not valued as an osier, is deserving of 
attention, as it will grow in wet situations where other trees 
will hardly exist. It furnishes food for bees at a time when it 
is most needed. In early spring, before other flowers appear, 
this tree is a mass of dazzling bloom, most eagerly sought after 
by bees. This willow is also valuable for hoops. 

The cuttings, in our climate, should be prepared in fall or 
early winter, and if planted at that time the ends will form the 
callosity preparatory to sending out roots. In setting the cut- 
tings in the ground prepared for them, care should be taken to 
have them set deep enough ; a small portion only should re- 
main above ground, the strongest roots always start from the 
lower end of the cutting or set; by doing so the most vigorous 
growth will be obtained. 

In establishing a willow plantation, cuttings of vigorous up- 



376 

land growth, that have had an abundance of room, should onlj^ be 
purchased and used, and, if obtainable, select wood of one year's 
growth, with a portion of two 3-cars wood from the lower ex- 
tremity. Deep soils, free from standing water, but yet so soft 
that plowing is impracticable, will grow enormous growths of 
S. triandra, requiring no further cultivation but keeping the 
weeds down for the first year or two, after which time the wil- 
lows will be of sufficient strength to take care of themselves, 
and provide for their own shade and well-being. We have in the 
Southern States large districts of deep alluvium, often inclining 
to swamps, which are so much drained as to do away with their 
swampy character, and with no other preparation than remov- 
ing the trees, may make excellent willow plantations. Sir J. 
W. Hooker observes: "The many important uses rendered to 
men by the diiferent species of willow serve to rank them 
among the first in the list of our economical plants." The edi- 
tor of the Southern Farmer and Planter then quotes a state- 
ment by W. P. Eupert, of Geneva, N. Y., showing a net profit 
of $533 per acre from planting the osier willow. 

See, also, Chaptal's Chemistry applied to Agriculture for the 
method of planting willow along borders of land liable to inun- 
dation, to lessen the force of the water, to strengthen the soil, 
and reclaim the land. A border of willow and poplar is planted 
over the banks or along the sides of the watercourses, and the 
plants are cropped at the tops so as to increase the thickness of 
their growth. 

In a paper in Patent Office Reports on Agriculture, p. 46, 
1851, by W. G. Haynes, of Putnam County, N. Y., it is stated 
that four or five million dollars worth of willow were imported 
annually into the United States from France and Germany. 
The prices ranged from $1 to 11 30 per ton weight. The writer 
confines his attention to the "three kinds best adapted for 
basket-making, farming, tanning and fencing." He says: "The 
Salix viminalis is that specimen of all others best adapted for 
basket-makers. An acre of this properly planted, and culti- 
vated upon suitable soil, will yield at least two tons weight per 
year." See the paper cited for yield. The people of England, 
till 1808, relied entirely for their supply upon Continental Eu- 
rope. The Salix alba, or Bedford willow, is much planted by 
the Duke of Bedford. " The bark is held in high estimation 



377 

for tanning, the wood for shoemakers' lasts, boot-trees, cutting- 
boards, gun and pistol stocks, and house timber; the wood being 
fine grained, and susceptible of as fine a polish as rosewood or 
mahogany. An a0re of this kind of wood, ten years old, has 
sold in England for £155." The ^' Salix alba is extensively 
used by retired tradesmen who build in the country for the 
purpose of securing shade in a short time, and by the nobility 
around their fish-ponds and mill-dams, and along their water- 
courses and avenues. This is the principal wood used in the 
manufacture of gunpowder in England." It requires twelve 
thousand cuttings to plant one acre. Much land worth for little 
else might be planted in willow. 

The next species is the Huntingdon willow, {S. caprea,) 
"which is a good basket willow, and is used extensively in 
England by the farmers for hoop-poles and fencing. Their 
manrrer of planting for fencing is by placing the ends of the 
cuttings in the ground, and then working them into a kind of 
trellis-work, and passing a willow withe around the tops or 
ends, so as to keep in shape for the first two years. They cut 
the tops off yearly, and sell them to the basket-makers, thus 
having a fence and crop from the same ground." Another de- 
scription of fence is also made from the Salix caprea, "known 
in England by the name of hurdle fences, which may be re- 
moved at the pleasure or discretion of the proprietor." 

In England, Wilson saj's, an acre of osier will yield greater 
profit than one of wheat. The Salix purpurea, as was stated, is 
also valuable. "The cutting of a basket twig should be made 
slopingly within three buds of the point whence the shoot 
issued ; and the cutting of a hoop willow may be made so low 
as to leave only the swell at the bottom of the shoot. Basket 
twigs are commonly sorted into three sizes, and tied into bun- 
dles of each two feet in circumference; and when they are to 
be peeled, they are set on their thick end, a few inches deep in 
standing water, and left there till commonly the latter part of 
the following May. The apparatus for peeling is simply two 
round rods of iron, nearly half an inch thick, sixteen inches 
long, and tapering a little upward, welded together a little at 
one end, which is sharpened, so that it may be easily thrust 
down into the ground. When thus placed in a piece of firm 
ground, the peeler sits down opposite to it, and takes the willow 



378 

in the right hand by tho small end, and puts a foot or more of 
the great end into the instrument, the prongs of which he 
presses together with the left hand, and with the right draws 
the willow toward him, by which operation the bark will at 
once be separated from the wood ; the small end is then treated 
in tho same manner, and the peeling is completed. After being 
peeled they will keep in a good condition for a long time, till a 
proper market be found. Rural Cyc. 

Charcoal made of willow or oak is a useful anti-septic agent, 
possessing the power of absorbing gases, and useful in dyspep- 
sia and ill-conditioned states of the gastro-intestiual mucous 
membranes. It is also used as a mechanical laxative, in doses 
of ten to fifteen grains. It is supposed to act as a prophj'lactic 
in yellow fever, and to prevent the acetous fermentation when 
added to casks of wine, cider, etc. In preparing it, the com- 
mon charcoal from green wood is reduced to powder. This is 
reheated and burned to ignition in a tightly covered vessel. It 
is then kept for use in closely stopped bottles, as it will absorb 
moisture and gases from the atmosphere. It is used also as a 
general purifyer. Brackish water strained thi'ough a layer of 
sand and powdered charcoal is made sweet and pure. 

For making gunpoicdcr charcoal, the lighter woods, such as 
the willow, dogwood and alder, answer best ; and in their car- 
bonization care should be taken to let the vapors freel}' escape, 
especially toward the end of the operation, for when they 
are re-absorbed, they greatly impair the combustibility of the 
charcoal. The charcoal of some wood contains silica, and is, 
therefore, used for polishing metals. Dr. Mushet published the 
following table of the quantity of charcoal yielded by different 
woods : 

Chestnut 23.2 of charcoal — glossy, black, compact, firm. 

Oak 22.6 black, close, very firm. 

Walnut 20.0 dull black, close, firm. 

Holly 19.9 dull black, loose and bulky. 

Beech 19.9 dull black, spongy, firm. 

Sycamore... 19.7 fine black, bulky, moderately firm. 

Elm 19.5 tine black, moderately firm. 

Norway pine 19.2 shining black, bulky, very soft. 

Sallow or willow.. ..18. 4 velvet black, bulky, loose, soft. 

Ash 17.9 shining black, spongy, firm. 

Birch 17.4 velvet black, bulky, firm. [Am. Fanner's Enc 



379 

On the subject of Nitre, and the materials for gunpowder, I 
will introduce the following from Chaptal's Chemistry, applied 
to Agriculture, p. 153, and refer the reader to Prof. Leconte's 
paper on nitre beds, published in Columbia, 1862. Different 
kinds of wood, he says, j-icld coal of very different quality; the 
best coal is heavy and sonorous, and is produced from wood of 
very compact fibre. The heat it affords is quick and strong, 
and its combustion, though vigorous, lasts a long time. The 
charcoal of the green oak of the South burns at least twice as 
long as that of the white oak of the North, and the effects pro- 
duced by the heat it affords are great in the same proportion. 

The light, porous, white woods afford a brittle, spongy coal, 
of less weight, and which may be easily reduced to powder; 
this coal consumes quickly in our fireplaces, but is useful for some 
jiurposes, particularly in the manufacture of gunpowder, for 
which, use it is prepared bj^ the following process : a ditch of 
five or six feet square and of about four in depth is dug in a 
dry soil ; the ditch is heated by means of a fire made of split 
wood ; the shoots and leaves are stripped from the long branches 
of elders, poplars, hazels and willows, of which the coal is to be 
made, and as soon as the ditch is sufficiently heated the branches 
are thrown gradually in ; when carbonization is at its height the 
pit is covered over with wet woollen cloths. This charcoal is 
more light and inflammable than that of the denser woods, and 
is susceptible of being more easily and completely pulverized. 
M. Proust, who has made numerous experiments to ascertain 
the kinds of plants which furnish the best coal for powder, 
found that procured from the stalk of hemp to be preferable to 
any other. 

The niost perfect process of carbonization is by means of 
a close apparatus; for this purpose a stone or brick building 
is constructed of eighteen to twenty-five feet square; this is 
matted over and the inside of it lined with a brick wall; through 
the extent of it cast-iron cylinders are laid in such a manner 
that one of the two ends shall have an external communica- 
tion, while the other carries the smoke into one of the chim- 
neys. As soon as the building is filled with the wood for 
carbonization the cylinders may be heated. The vapor which 
is distilled from the wood is received into sheet-iron pipes, 
placed in the top, which convey it into tubs where it is con- 



;580 

donsod. Count Thaptal ostooms this to bo tho bost and most 
ot'onomioal sipparaliis for lunUinij rhanojil; bosidcs, it allows 
tho prosorvation of tho pyrolii«;noous aoid, which briai;s a i;t>od 
prii'o, and n\ay also bo jnuMliod and oonvortod into vinoijar. 

In I'iJigland, ohaivoal is proparoil in two ditVoront ways. In 
ono, billots of wooil aro lorniod into a hoap, whioh is oovorod 
with turf, and a low small oponii\i:;s oidy loll Cov tho admission 
of tho air roquisito to maintain it in a stato i>f low oombustion 
at\or it is liijchtod. Whon tho wholo hoap is on tiro, tiio holos 
aro stoj^pod, and at\or iho mass has oooloil tho rosiduo is ohar- 
vox\\. This is substantially tho mothod adoptod on our planta- 
tatioMs. in thoothor modo, tho wood is distillod in iron oylin- 
dovs, in whioh oaso tho products aro pyndii;noous aoitls and 
on\pyroumatio oil ; and what romains in tho rotort is oharooal. 
Tho quantity of tho distillod products, as woU as o\' tho oharooal, 
do[>omls i>n tho kintl ot" W(>od omployotl, Ono hundred parts of 
driod oak yields of pyrolignoous aoid, 43. parts ; carbonate of 
potassa, 4.5 parts; ompyroumatic oil, 9.06 ]iarts; charcoal, 2l».2 
]>arts. Farmers Encyc. I'ros Oict. of Arts and Rural Cyc. 
Soo, jilso, ^' Qut'iYUs" and '' J*inus," in this voluino. 

Fivo hundred cords willow was contracted for, to bodolivoroil 
on tho lino of tho canal, at tho govoriunont powder factory, at 
Auixusta, Cia.. duriuij tho recent war. " Tho willow may bo of 
any size, tho smaller branches boinu; proterred ; tho larger sticks 
must bo split into ]Kirts not larger than tho arm. It must bo 
cut into uniform lengths ot" throe feet, and each cord will mea- 
sure tourteen toot long, three toot high and three foot broad, 
cimtaining ono hundred and iweniy-six cubic feet. Tho bark 
must bo carefully pooled otV at tho time ol' cutting.'' 

Purification of Witter hi/ C/uirohU. — The reader is referred to 
Chaptal's "Chemistry applioil to Agriculture" for much that 
is practical in tho domestic economy of our plantations in tho 
South on tho ittanutacturo of wine, brandy, etc. In his chapter 
on the 'moans of preparing wholesome drinks for tho wso of 
country people," he gives tho following mothod for rendering im- 
pure water pure. It would be found of great service at the pres- 
ent time, and our generals in tho tiold might thus, at little cost, 
]Mirify water for the use of their camps, for want of which sim- 
ple expoiiient, moves, possibly disastrous, have ot\en to be made 
in face of an enemy. " The water ntado use of is often muddy, 



or lijiH u bad Hrri(;ll, <;ithf;r of wliif,}i faults rnay be corroctod f^y 
filtering it tbrough charcoal ; tbc proce«H may be performed in 
the fbllowin;^ rtianner: plae*; a lar^e eaHk uiin-^Ui, in the coolest 
Hitualion you <an coinniarid, knock out the li'-ad, arid form in 
the bottom of it a bed of clean Hand upon which place one of 
charcoal, and above these fasten securely a double head pierced 
with holes. Wlien this is done the cask may be imm<;diately 
filled with the water which is to be purified. The filtrated 
fluid may be drawn off by means of a stop cock placed at the 
bottom of the bed of sand ; it will be found to have become 
clear and inodorous in its passage through the fand and char- 
coal. The preservation of this apparatus i-equires but little 
care ; when the charcoal ceases to produce the desired effect, it 
must be either well washed or replaced by a new portion," 
This plan can be put in practice by any one, and at any time. 

WEEPING WILLOW, (t'^alix Jiahiloni.m.) Completely natu- 
ralized. ^ 

It forms one of our most beautiful and graceful ornamental 
ti-ees. Only the jiistillate plant is fViund here; arid hence it 
(Joes not maturt! its fruit as the ofhers do. 

W J J I TE J'Ol'LA \i, (PopuluH olha.) Introduced. 

This is an aquatic plant, yet will grow on dry BoiJH. It is 
easily propagated by suckers, grows rapidly, is very tenacious 
of life, arid is one of the tr*ees planted to prevent the encroach- 
ment of the sea or rivers, by being planted with willows on tlie 
margin. See, also, willow, (,Salix.) 

The poplar has a very white, light wood, very suitable for 
flooring; also eminently suited, on account of its lightness, for 
the manufacture of trays, bowls, etc. "It is excellently adapted 
for the purposes of the bellows-maker, and of the manufac- 
turer of woofJen soles of shoes; it is good for light carts; exccl- 
Jent also for laths and packing-cases; very superior for wooden 
constructions under water; and in fact &h available for an 
almost innumerable variety of purposes, from the mean ones of 
fuel and poles to the noble ones of tools atid furniture. Pontey 
even asserts it to be perfectly suitable for almost every article 
usually made of mahogany, and quite capable of being stained 
and doctored into a very close imitation of tliat valuable wood." 
Wilson. The wood of our wild, tulip-bearing poplar {Lirioden- 
dron) is adapted to similar purposes, being light, and easily 



382 

worked, and used by the cabiiiot-niaUor I'or many purposes. It 
is slated in tlio Farmer's Encyelopaniia that b}' splitting the 
wood of the wliito popUir into thin sliavings like tape or braid, 
the stutf called sparU'rie, used for liats, is manufactured. Those 
shavings are always made from green wood. One workman 
can, with tlie aid of a child to carry oif the shavings, keep 
several plaitcrs employed. Tnis might be made a source of 
successful industry in the Southern States. 

Paper from Wood Pulp. — A company of two hundred gentle- 
men, representing the newspaper and book publishers of New 
York, Boston and this city, paid a visit (1866) to the Manayunk 
AYood Paper Pulp Works, and witnessed the entire process of 
converting cord wood into paper pulp, and its manufacture into 
paper. The pulp works are very extensive, buildings and 
machinery having cost $500,000. The great feature of the 
works is the economy in the use of chemicals, which disin- 
tegrate the wood and bleach the pulp, the refuse being carried 
to the evaporating house, where the chemicals are rendered fit 
for using again, only twenty per cent, of fresh stock being 
added to make it equal to its former strength. A poplar tree 
was taken from the hill-side for their benelit, and converted into 
clear, white, soft paper, in the space of five hours. At the ad- 
joining. Great Rock Paper Mills, excellent printing paper is 
made with eighty per cent, of wood pulp and twenty per cent, 
of straw })ulp. From ten to fifteen tons of wood pulp are 
turned out daily. The Avorks have but recently gone into oi)e- 
ration, and already the price of paper is reduced three cfcnts 
per pound. 

Upon examining the excrescences caused by an insect in 
large numbers on the leaves of the cotton-wood tree, (P. hctero- 
phylla, L.,) I find them possessed of great bitterness, and sug- 
gest an examination into their tonic properties. 

BALSA MACE.E. 

SWEET GUM, (LiquiJambar styraafiua, L.) Diff'used from 
Fla. to Maryland. Fl. Atarch. 

U. S. Disp. 273 ; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 18-1 ; Ed. and 
Vav. Mat. Med. 303 ; Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. vi, 190; Eoyle, 
Mat. Med. 502; Bergii, Mat. Med. ii, 798; Linn. Veg. M. Med. 
In former times the resin was used in scabies ; and it is said 



(Am. Herbal, by J. Stearns) to be useful in resolving hard 
tumors in the uterus. The Indians esteemed it an excellent 
febrij'ugc, and employed it in healing wounds. Mer. and de L, 
Diet, de M. Med. iv, 128, and the Supplem. 1846 ; Ann. de Mont- 
pcllier, 1805, 327; Journal de Pharm. vii, 339, and vii, 568; Bull, 
de Therap., October, 1833, where I). L'lleritier proposes to treat 
blennorrhagias and leucorrhoeas with liquid styrax. A kind of 
oil, called copalm, is extracted from it in Mexico, which, when 
.solidified, is called copalm resin ; this is an excitant of the 
mucous sj'stem, and it is given in chronic catarrhs, and in affec- 
tions of the lungs, intestines and urinary passages. This is 
cordial and stomachic ; it excites both perspiration and urine ; 
it is also used in perfumery. In South Carolina and Georgia 
the temperature is not high enough for this tree to furnish 
much gum. Dr. Griffith experimented with it in the latitude of 
Baltimore, and obtained a small quantity by boiling the twigs 
and iTranches; he found that it exists in greatest abundance in 
the young trees just before the appearance of the leaves. It is 
about the consistence of honey, of a yellow color, and of a 
pleasant, balsamic odor and taste. The acid obtained from the 
gum is not benzoic, as the English assert, but cynamic. See 
Am. J. Pharm. The tree is of rapid growth, and is orna- 
mental — frequently assuming the appearance of a sugar-loaf. 
The wood is soft, but not durable. A decoction of the inner 
bark of the gum in a quart of milk, or a tea made with boiling 
water is one of the most valuable and useful mucilaginous 
astringents that we possess. It can be employed with advan- 
tage in eases of diarrhfjca and dysentery'. Dr. C. W. Wright, of 
Louisville, Ky., states that the bark of the tree is used with 
great advantage in the Western States in the diarrhoea and 
dysentery of summer, especially in children. A syrup from the 
bark is prepared in the same manner as the syrup of wild 
cherry bark. The dose is a fluid ounce for an adult, repeated 
after each stool. Am. J. Med. Sc. N. S. xxxii, 126. The editor 
of the Va. Med. J., August, 1856, says that the use of a decoc- 
tion of the bark in milk is common in many parts of Virginia 
as a remedy in the diarrhoea of children. U. S. Disp., 12th 
Ed. In Georgia, also, a common domestic remedy for diar- 
rhoeas is made by boiling in water equal parts of the barks of 
the rod oak and sweet gum — a small proportion of spirits may 



384 

often be added with advantage. Dr. Wright claims that the 
syrup is retained by an iri-itable stomach when almost every 
other form of astringent medicine is rejected. See, also, Par- 
rish Pract. Pharm., p. 230. 

Leaves of native trees for Tanning Leather recommended in 
place of Oak bark. — During the months of October and Novem- 
ber, 1861, 1 had the leisure to make some experiments upon the 
relative amount of the astringent principles in the leaves of 
several of our most abundant native trees. The reputed power 
of the dogfennel and other plants for the rapid tanning of 
leather attracted my attention to the subject. I publish the 
following, that the green leaves may be collected and used 
before they fall. They can be much more readily obtained than 
oak bark. I made two series of experiments, with a solution of 
each leaf in boiling water, in separate test-glasses. After the}'- 
had remained a sufficient time for the coloring matters and the 
astringent principles to be extracted, I subjected each to the 
appropriate reagents. Solutions of iron as well as gelatine 
were employed, which responded perfectly, and gave delicate 
shades of difference. The leaf, well chewed and tasted, also 
gives a very good idea of its astringency, and consequently 
affords an approximation to the tannin and gallic acid it con- 
tains. It will be seen that the leaves of the sumach, sweet-gum, 
myrtle, blackberr}', Clethra tomentosa and Andromeda nitida, 
(both abundant in our damp pine barrens, along the margin of 
ponds,) and the fruit of the unripe persimmon, contain the 
largest amounts of tannin, and perhaps gallic acid. 

1 took special care to select trees, for the most part, which 
grew plentifully, and I particularly recommend those just men- 
tioned to be used in lieu of oak bark for tanning leather, on 
account of their abundance and the ease with which the fresh 
leaves can be gathered, and because of the scarcity of the oak, 
and the injury to these valuable timber trees. If the oak is 
deprived of its bark the wood should always be converted into 
ashes. 

The dogfennel, (^Eupatorium fieniculaceum (f) see Eupato- 
riutn,) occupied a very inferior position as a tanniniferous plant, 
and I have since learned that its reputed value was only illu- 
sory. 



385 

FIRST SERIES. 

{Relative amount of Astringency (tannia) expressed by numerals.) 
1. Clethra abiifolia, L. (C. tomentosa, Lam.) Diffused in 
damp pine lands. 
1. Andromeda nitida. 

1. Fruit of unripe Persimmon, {Diospyros Virginiana; ) color 
of solution, bluish black. 

2. Sweet-Gum, {JJiquidambar styraciflua.') 
2^. Swamp Myrtle, (Myrica cerifera.) 

3. Sweet Swamp Bay, or Laurel, {Magnolia glauca.) All the 
above rich in tannin. 

4. Oak Leaves, Black Jack, (Quercus nigra, L.) 

5. Leaves of Persimmon. 

6. Sassafras, {Laurus Sassafras,) a trace. 

7. Prinos Glaber, (ink-berry.) Tannin not very evident. 

SECOND SERIES. 

1. Sumach, (Rhus copallina, L. and R. Glabra.) 

2. Blackberry, {Ruhus villosus and trivialis,) both very rich in 
tannin. 

3. Sweet leaf, {Hopea tinctoria,) tannin slightly present. 

4. Dogfennel, {Eupatorium foiniculaceum,) a trace. 

5. Sassafras, a trace. 

6. Gall of the earth, {Erenanthes alba,) very bitter; tannin, 
none. 

Both the leaves and the excrescences on the leaves of the 
smooth Sumach, {Rhus glabra,) growing along streams in the 
upper districts, are very rich in tannin and should be used. 
The Alder, {Alnus serrulata,) abundant along watercourses, is 
also astringent. The reader can find a list of the plants and 
trees yielding tannin in Ure's "Dictionary of Arts, Manufac- 
ture and Mines." See, also, Oak Q' Quercus") and Sumach 
(" Rhus ") in this volume. 

M. Dussauce, in " his New and Complete Treatise on the Arts 
of Tanning, Currying and Leather Dressing, Philadelphia and 
London, 1847," states that the foliage of very few trees are 
employed in the manufacture of leather. He does not refer 
to the Carolina myrtle or gum as tanniniferous plants. I will 
include under this section a list of those trees, the leaves of 
25 



386 

which he mentions as being used for tanning. Very few of the 
species cited by him grow in the South, but the plants belong 
to the genera Scdix, Sorbiis, {cmcvparia,) Pxinica, Fagus, Cornus, 
Betida, Bumex, Quercus, Prumis, Amygdalus, {.Persica,) Geranium, 
(Enothera, (biennis,') Tilia, Arbutus and Rubus. 

He cites the following, the flowers and flower tops of which 
may be used for tanning. I select only those which are in- 
digenous or naturalized within the limits I have prescribed to 
myself: 

Agrimonia eupatoria, Hypericum perforatum, (St. John's-wort,) 
Polygonum persicaria, Plantago major, (Plantain,) Humulus lupu- 
lus, (Hop.) The seeds of the grape and the roots of Statice 
Carolijiiana, (Marsh Kosemary,) also contain tannin. 

CALLITEICHACB^. 

STAE-WOET; WATER CHICKWEBD, {Callitriche verna, 
W., Callatriche heterophyUa, Ell. Sk.) Grows in shallow water ; 
collected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. May. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 326. It is considered by the planters a 
valuable diuretic remedy in dropsy. The tincture of the whole 
plant in spii'its is employed. A decoction is given to horses 
when diuresis is desired. 

SANTALALES. - 

BLACK-GUM; NAEEOW LEAVED TUPELO; SOUR- 
GUM, {Nyssa aquatica, L. The roots are immersed in inun- 
dated soils ; collected in St. John's; observed in Fairfield Dis- 
trict; vicinity of Charleston; Newbern. 

The roots are white, spongy and light, and ai"e sometimes 
used in the Southern States as a substitute for cork ; I am in- 
formed by a fi'iend who has had bottle corks cut from them 
that they answer perfectly, and the floats for the nets of fisher- 
men are generally made of the tupelo. 

The genus exhibits a constant peculiarity of organization, 
(" the fibres are united in bundles and interwoven like a braided 
cord,") hence the wood is extremely difficult to split, unless cut 
into billets — much used for hubs of wheels ; also preferred for 
the sideboards of carts. Am. Sylva. Trays, bowls, dippers, 



387 

mortars, and other utensils arc manufactured from it. I had 
recommended it as a suitable material during the war for shoes 
in ni}^ article in DeBow's Eeview, August, 1861, and have since 
had a number made from the wood of the roots for negi'oes 
residing on plantations in South Carolina. It is recommended 
that only the sole of the shoe be made of wood, an inch in 
thickness, cowskin, with the hair turned inside, being nailed on 
this over a last; the hardness of this which is an objection, 
may be diminished by soaking in salt and water. I have used 
sheepskin, though canvas is next best to leather. The wood 
should be well seasoned, or it will crack ; boiling will prevent 
this if the fresh wood is used. It is advised that when the 
black-gum is used in the manufacture of shoes, "for complete 
protection against moisture, a slip or inner sole and lining of 
any water-proof material may be added." 

I iu^'odiice the following from the "Farmer and Planter," as 
not inappropriate. Every one who has visited Europe has seen 
the sabot worn by the peasantry : 

It cannot be denied that a number of diseases must result 
from the wearing of leather shoes by laborers, when engaged 
in out-door operations during cold weather, or in wet situations. 
In Germany, Belgium and France, in order to prevent those 
evils, at least to some extent, the use of wooden shoes has long 
since been introduced, and they are extensively worn by the 
whole farming and laboring population. 

The governments of Europe have very much encouraged the 
manufacture of the same, and their preference over leather 
shoes is much recommended by all boards of agriculture and of 
health. There is hardl3^an operation on the farm and about the 
farm-houses, the garden, etc., in which they could not be most 
profitably used. They are perfectly secure against the pene- 
tration of water, and being always dry, will keep the feet warm 
and thereby prevent many diseases. They are light and easy 
to wear, of a pleasant appearance, may be blackened or var- 
nished. They can be worn with or without stockings; and, 
with many other advantages, they combine such durability as 
to last almost a lifetime, at a cost of from twenty-five to thirty- 
seven cents. They are certainly entitled to the attention of 
the farmers and laboring population of the South. The wood 



388 

for theii* manufacture is to be had in great abundance in most 
of our Southern States. 

The following is on the same subject : 

Shoes without Leather. — Messrs. Howes, Hyatt & Co., shoe and 
leather dealers, in the City of New York, manufacture a planta- 
tion brogan, differing from the old shoe, in having soles of some 
light, tough wood — probably the root of the swamp poplar. 
They patented the invention and warrant the brogan to outlast 
the best of the leather-soled. Planters on the Mississippi had 
tried them, and found that they were warmer, more durable, 
and more impervious to water than the leatber-soled. The soles 
were made by machinery. The upper leather was first securely 
tacked to the inner sole, and the under sole securely fastened to 
the upper by about a dozen iron screws, securing the upper 
leather between the two soles. With soles of wood and uppers 
of canvas we can be independent of leather in times of war and 
blockade. 

Mr. W. Gilmore Simms suggests to me the use of the tupelo, 
on account of its lightness, for making cartridge boxes. Surg. 
Carrington, Med. Director late C. S. A., Eichmond, Va., em- 
ployed the tupelo to test its advantages as a material for the 
manufacture of artificial limbs, and Gen. Walker informs me, 
1866, that he uses a leg made of the white tupelo, and that it 
surpasses every other for lightness. 

It is necessary to distinguish between the wood of these trees. 
The roots of the white tupelo furnishes a material so light as to 
resemble cork yqvj closely. The body of the tree also furnishes 
a very light wood. It always grows in ponds. The Black tu- 
pelo or black gum, sometimes grows on highlands — the wood is 
also very light, but it possesses a firmer texture, by the inter- 
lacement of the fibres, as I have observed — hence the adapta- 
bility of the wood of the root for making bowls, shoes, naves of 
carts, etc. The wood of the root is in each lighter than that of 
the body of the ti'ee. 

The N. capitata, of Walt., the Ogeechee Lime, growing in the 
swamps of Florida and Georgia, near the coast, has a fruit which 
is agreeably acid. Dr. J. H. Mellichamp writes me : "A very 
delightful acid preserve is made from the large drupes of this 
tree." 

Birds are fond of the fruit of this p-enus. 



389 

THYMELACBiE. {The Mezereiim Tribe.) 

According to Lindley, the great feature of this tribe is the 
causticity of tlie bark, which acts upon the skin as a vesicatory 
and causes excessive pain in the mouth when chewed. 

CANADA LEATHERWOOD; ROPE BARK, {Dirca pa- 
histris, L.) Diffused; grows near Augusta at Colleton's Neck, 
(Ell.) Bartram found it near Savannah ; N. C. Fl. Feb. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 659; U. S. Disp. 1253; 
Coxe's Am. Disp. 259; Shec. Flora Carol. 513; Big. Am. Med. 
Bot. ii, 157 ; Barton's Collec. 32 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 563 ; Raf. 
Med. Fl. i, 158. The berries are said to be narcotic and poi- 
sonous, and the bark has a nauseous odor and acrid taste, 
yielding its virtues to alcohol ; eight grains of the powdered 
bark will produce violent vomiting, followed by purging. When 
applied to the skin, it blisters like mezereon. The juice has been 
applie(^to the nerve of a painful tooth with relief, and in dis- 
eases where acrid masticatories are serviceable. Bigelow says 
the decoction is sudorific and expectorant, and he considers it a 
good substitute for senega. The bark is also uncommonly tough, 
and was used by the Indians for cordage ; the wood is very 
hard and pliant. 

Its twigs are remarkable for toughness, are as strong and pli- 
able as those of the lime tree, and are employed in America for 
the manufacture of various small articles Its bark, also, has a 
homogeneous character with the twigs, and is used for making 
ropes and baskets ; and both, but especially the twigs, occasion 
the plant to be popularly called in Canada leatherwood. This 
plant is an excessive favorite with snails! Wilson's Rural Cyc. 

LAURACE.E, {The Cinnamon Tribe.) 
The qualities of the species of this order are uniform, being 
universally aromatic, warm and stomachic. 

SASSAFRAS, {Sassafras officinale^ Nees. Laurus sassafras of 
Ell. Sk.) Diffused. Fl. March. 

Bell's Pract. Diet. 411; Eberle, Mat. Med. ii, 320; Drayton's 
View, 68; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 341; U. S. Disp. 640; Royle, 
Mat. Med. 518; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 253; CuUen's 
Mat. Med. ii, 200 and 579 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 142 ; Murray's 
Apparat. iv, 835; Kalm's Travels, 11; Hoffman's Obs. Phys. 
Chem. 31; Clayton's Phil. Trans, viii, 332; Bremaine, "Sassa- 



390 

fralogia," in 1627 ; Woodv. Med. Bot.; Griffith's Med. Bot. 552 ; 
Thornton's Fam. Herb. The phmt contains an essential oil, ob- 
tained by distillation, which is heating, sudorific and diuretic, 
and which is used to disguise the taste of medicines. In the 
Supplcm. to Diet, de M. Med. 426, 1846, it is reported that the 
essential oil, when placed in a temperature of 40° Fahr., will 
form crystals, which, being exposed lo heat, return to pure oil : 
from the Eeport in the Lond. Med. Journal vii, 2501, 831 ; lie- 
searches on the Ess. Oil of Sassafras, in the Comptes Rendus 
Hebd. des Sc. de I'Acad. des Sc. xviii, 705. After the conquest 
made by the Spaniards in Florida sassafras was used in the 
treatment of syphilis, the warm infusion being applicable in cu- 
taneous disease, by acting on the emunctories. The root is em- 
ployed in the Carolinas in combination with guaiac, sarsaparilla, 
and China briar, (S}nilax.') in the formation of diet drinks. It is 
diaphoretic and diuretic, useful in rheumatism, and Alibert 
speaks highly of it in gout. The pith of the young branches, 
according to Eberle, contains a great deal of mucilage ; which is 
" an exceedingly good application in acute ophthalmia, and no 
less useful in catarrhal and dysenteric affections;" it is not af- 
fected by alcohol ; Griffith (Med. Bot. 552) also speaks favorably 
of it as an application to inflamed eyes, being effectual in the re- 
moval of the irritation so constant in this complaint. It is ad- 
vantageously given as a demulcent drink in disorders of the res- 
piratory organs, bowels and bladder ; being more efficacious than 
that prepared from the leaves of Bene, (^Sesamum Indicum.') It 
might be used as a substitute for acacia. The oil extracted from 
this plant is one of the heaviest of the volatile oils. Dr. B. S. 
Barton states that it has been found an efficacious application to 
wens. Coll. i, 19. G. Velsch, "Lignum sassafras et radice di- 
versum," Miscel. Cur. Nat. 332, 1670; C.J. Trew, Brevis Hist. 
JNat.; Arboris Sassafras dicta), (Nova acta Acad. Nat. Cur. ii, 
271 ;) G. D. Ebret de Arboribus Sassafras dictis et Londini cultis, 
(Nova acta ii, 236;) Obs. on the Sassafras, in Obs. surla Phy- 
sique, xxiv, 63 ; Bonastre, Mem. sur I'Huile volatile de Sass. 
(Journal de Pharm. xiv. 645.) And, also, A. Buchner upon the 
Crystallization of the Oil of Sassafras. 

The roots yield a drab color with copperas; no doubt a much 
lighter shade ma}' be obtained by alum or vinegar as a mordant. 
I believe that any of our plants containing either tannin or 



3'Jl 

colored juices may be used as dyes. Iron increases the shade 
by foi-ming tannate or gallate of iron. See " Rhus," etc. 

The leaves of sassafras contain an unusual proportion of mu- 
cilage, and two or three leaves, dissolved in water, yield a mu- 
cilaginous drink. I made great use of the tea prepared with 
sassafras root, gathered extemporaneously, while surgeon to the 
Holcombe Legion, S. C. Vols. It was given whenever a warm, 
aromatic, mucilaginous tea was required, in fever, pneumonia, 
bronchitis, catarrhs, mumps, etc. The nurse detailed for each 
company procured the materials upon the spot where the com- 
pany or regiment was posted. It served every purpose of the 
articles usually supplied by the medical purveyors of the army. 
I have also used it in lieu of gum arable and flaxseed, so largely 
required on onr plantations. The cotton seed is said to make 
an equally economical demulcent tea. 

In oump sassafras tea was often drunk daily by many of the 
officers and soldiers as a favorite substitute for green tea. It is 
thought to purify the blood, but the impression that it tends to 
impair the health and intellect if persisted in must be erroneous. 
The oil it contains is^diuretic. 

The Farmer's Enc3'clopoedia says of the sassafras: 

" The wood stripped of its bark is very durable, strong and 
resists worms, etc. It forms excellent posts for gates. Bed- 
steads made of it are never infested with bugs. It is, however, 
only occasionally employed for any useful purpose, and never 
found in the lumber-yards of large towns. The pith and dried 
leaves of the young branches of the sassafras contain much mu- 
cilage, resembling that of the okra plant, and are extensively 
used in New Orleans to thicken pottage, and make the cele- 
brated gumbo soup." 

A cheap and wholesome Beer for the use of soldiers, or as a 
table beer, is prepared from the sassafras, the ingredients being 
easily obtained. To eight bottles of water are added one quart 
of molasses, one pint of yeast, one tablespoonful of ginger, one 
and a half tablespoonful of cream of tartar, these ingredients 
being well stirred and mixed in an open vessel ; after standing 
twenty-four hours the beer may be bottled, and used immedi- 
ately. The reader interested in the manufacture of beer, ale, 
porter, etc., will find the methods detailed in Solly's Eural 
Chemistry, Ure's Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures, and in 
Wilson's Eural Cyclopcedia. 



392 

I add the method of preparing 

The French Army Beer. — The following is the recipe of the 
beer that has been introduced into the French Army upon the 
recommendation of the Medical Board. It is described as a 
very wholesome beverage, of pleasant and refreshing taste, and 
promoting digestion in a remarkable degree. It may prove an 
agreeable beverage both in and outside of the army : 

"Water 100 litres about 100 quarts. 

Molasses 500 grammes about 1 pound. 

Hops - 100 grammes about 3 ounces. 

Marshmallow root 50 grammes about 1^ ounce. 

Yeast 60 grammes about li ounce. 

Make an infusion of the hops and marshmallow root with 
about twenty times their weight of the boiling water. Another 
part of the water is used to dilute the molasses, and another to 
dilute the yeast. All the fluids are then mixed, and put into a 
vessel for fermentation. After five or six days it will be ready 
for use. 

The following modification of the recipe may sometimes be 
preferable : 

Water 100 litres * 100 quarts. 

Honey 800 grammes 1 lb. 10 oz. 

Brown sugar 800 grammes 1 lb. 10 oz. 

Hops 300 grammes 9 oz. 

Yeast 50 grammes \\ oz. 

I have no doubt the mucilaginous leaves of the sassafras or 
the Bene would serve as a substitute for the marshmallow. See, 
also, "Persimmon," (Diospyros,) "Apple" and " Hop," in this 
volume for manufacture of domestic liquors. 

SPICE BUSH; FEYEE BUSH; WILD ALLSPICE, (Ben- 
zoin odoriferum, Kees V. Ess. Lauriis benzoin, L., Ell. Sk.) Grows 
along rivulets. 

Collected in St. John's, Charleston District ; Eichland ; New- 
bern. Fl. April. 

Mer. and de L. Diet de M. Med. iv, 51 ; U. S. Disp. 1233 ; 
Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 201 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 553; Barton, 295. 
This is another of our highly aromatic, indigenous shrubs; the 
bark is, besides, stimulant and tonic; "extensively used, in 
North America, in intermittent fevers." 

This tree contains a remarkable amount of aromatic property 
in every portion of it; it yields benzoin. Benzoin is also found 
in our grasses Anthoxanthum odoratum, (sweet scented vernal 



393 

grass,) IIolcus odoratus and Mellllotus officinalis — the principle 
wliich appears to give fragrance to liay and pasture land, and 
which is communicated undecomposed to the urine of the cow. 
Wilson's Eural Cyc. The berries contain an aromatic oil, which 
is esteemed in some parts of the country as an application to 
bruises, rheumatic limbs, etc. It is said to have been employed 
during the Ecvolutionary war, as a substitute for allspice. B. 
S. Bai'ton states that an infusion of the twigs has been found 
eflficacious as a vermifuge ; the flowers are employed in the 
place of those of the sassafras. 

A decoction of the plant forms an excellent diaphoretic drink 
in pneumonias, colds, coughs, etc., and as such may be largely 
used among soldiers in service. 

The soldiers of the upper country of South Carolina, serving 
in the Holcombe Legion, of which I was Surgeon, came into 
cami>fully su])plied with the spice bush for making a fragrant, 
aromatic, diaphoretic tea. This, and a tea prepared from the 
sassafras, I used entirely as a substitute for gum arable and 
flaxseed in colds, coughs, pneumonias, etc. Soldiers may supply 
themselves with these, as they move camp, in any locality. 

POND SPICE, (Laurus, Walter. Tetranthera geniculata, 
Nees.) Grows around ponds; vicinit}' of Charleston ; Newbern ; 
Da. This, also, is aromatic. A species growing in China af- 
fords much tallow. 

AEISTOLOCIIIACEiE. (The Birthicort Tribe.) ■ 

SEKPBNTAKIA; SNAKEROOT, (Aristolochia serpentaria, 
L.) Diff'used. Kichland; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. 
June. 

Bell's Pract. Diet. Mat. Med. 420; Trous, et Pid. Mat. Med. i, 
336 ; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med.- 249 ; Eberle, Mat. Med. i, 280 ; 
Le. Mat. Med. i, 163 ; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 520 ; Royle, Mat. 
Med. 532; U. S- Disp. 658; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. i, 231; 
Journal de Pharmacie, vi, 365 ; Journal de Chim. Med. vii, 493 ; 
Sydenham, Peechey's Trans. 4th edition, 33 ; Ball and Gar. Mat. 
Med. 375; Cullen, Mat. Med. ii, 85; Bergii, Mat. Med. ii, 765; 
Mer. and de L. Diet de M. Med. i, 415 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 
82 ; Murray, Apparat. Med. i, 348 ; Chap. Therap. and Mat. Med. 
ii, 411; Lind. on Hot Climates, 104, 254; Shec. Flora Carol. 
203; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 206; Bart. M. Bot. 251; Woodv. 



394 

Med. Bot.; Griffith's Med. Bot. 829 ; Linn. Veg. M. Med. 166 ; 
Bull Plantes Ven de France, 83; Thornton's Fara. Herb. This 
plant, which yields a volatile oil, camphor, malate and phospi>ate 
of lime, is well known as a tonic, diuretic and diaphoretic, of 
great value in the low stages of fever, and in tj^phus, after re- 
mittent, in chlorosis, and in atonic affections of the intestinal 
canal ; indicated where we wish to stimulate and excite at the 
same time a free diaphoresis and diuresis. It is also useful in 
promoting the cutaneous excretions in exanthematous diseases, 
where the eruptions are tardy. Dr. Chapman recommended it 
in " bilious pleurisy." The infusion is serviceable in restraining 
vomiting; much use is made of this plant among the negi'oes 
in the South, particularly in the low stages of pneumonia, to 
which they are particularly liable. I have repeatedly observed 
the good effects of both this and the senega snakeroot, {Polygala 
senega,) in this affection. The dose of the powdered root is ten 
to thirty grains; of the infusion, of one ounce to one pint of 
boiling water, two ounces may be taken as often as occasion re- 
quires. Its effects are increased by combining it with camphor. 
Dr. Thornton, (Fara. Herb. cit. sup.,) used it in typhus fever ; 
two drachms of the tincture, combined with ten grains of the 
powder and five drachms of the tiuctm-e of opium, may be 
given every hour. It is said to add ranch to the efficacy of 
bark ; and it forms an ingredient of Huxam's Tr. of bark. 

Several vegetable infusions surpass even sea salt in anti-septic 
power. Sir John Pringle says that several bitters, such as ser- 
))entaria, chamomile, or Peruvian bark, exceed salt, he inferred, 
one hundred and twenty times — " flesh remaining long untainted 
when immersed in their infusions ; camphor is more powerful 
than anything else." Wilson's Kural Cyclop. This anti-septic 
power of certain vegetable substances should be compared with 
their medicinal effects when prescribed internally. All the arti- 
cles just mentioned are, it will be remembered, employed in ty- 
phoid and low fevers. Araong vegetable products, vinegar is 
also anti-septic, and in the latter stages of low forms of fever, 
dysentery, etc., is highly useful. Among the astringents pos- 
sessed of anti-septic properties, the tannin may be the potent 
agent, on account of its affinity for albumen and gelatine. 

Artstolochla hastata. Eich, shaded soils. Fl. June. 



395 

U. S. Disp. 658; Am. Journal Pharm. xiv, 121. It is said to 
be similar in properties to the A. serpentaria. 

DUTCHMAN'S PIPE, {Aristolochia sipho.) Shec. Fl. Carol. 
205. Similar in properties to the others. 

Aristolochia tomentosa, Sims. Fla. to JVIts. of N. C. Similar 
in properties to the other species. 

WILD GINGER; COLT'S FOOT; CANADA SNAKE- 
EOOT, (Asarum Canadensis, L.) Eich soil ; collected in St. 
John's. Fl. April. 

U. S. Disp. 125 ; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 243 ; Frost's 
Elems. 220 ; Med. Journal Pharm. x, 186 ; Diet. Univ. des 
Drogues Simples, Ann. 1733 ; Cullen Mat. Med. ii, 473, 553 ; 
Mer. and de L. Diet de M. Med. i, 463 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 149 ; 
Schoepf, Mat. Med. 72, in op. cit. ; Barton's Collection, 26, 48; 
Coxe, Am. Disp, 368; Liud. Nat. Syst. Bot. 206 ; Griffith's Med. 
But. 527. An aromatic, stimulant tonic and diaphoretic, "ap- 
plicable in similar cases with serpentaria.'^ It is employed in 
cases requiring a medicine of this class, and is used in cholic 
"where no inflammation exists. It is valuable in colds, coughs 
and female obstructions as a warm, diffusible stimulant and dia- 
phoretic; sometimes combined with snakeroot and puccoon 
root, {Sang ulnar ia.) Dr. Firth gave it with benefit in the 
tetanus of children arising from cold. The leaves, dried and 
powdered, have poAverful errhine properties. They were once 
considered actively emetic, (Shec. Fl. Carol. 219 ;) but this has 
been denied by Bigelow and Barton, op. cit. Dr. J. R. Black, of 
Indiana, has ascribed active diuretic properties to it, and has 
used it with extraordinary success in two cases of dropsy, con- 
nected with albuminous urine. He used a decoction made by 
boiling four ounces of the root in two pints of water for thirty 
minutes, and gave two tablespoon sful every four hours. N. Y. 
Journal Med. xxxii, 289; U.S. Disp., 12th Ed. The root is often 
used as a substitute for ginger, to which it is said to be fully 
equal. According to Bigelow's examination, it contains a pun- 
gent, volatile oil, and a resin which communicate to alcohol the 
virtues of the plant, fecula, a gum, mucus, etc., op. cit. 153, 1. 
By the Anal, of Mr. Rushton, quoted in Griffith's work from the 
Am. Journal Pharm. x, 81, and more recently of Mr. Proctor, 
ibid, xii, 177, it is shown that the active principle is an aromatic 
essential oil, and that it contains neither asarin nor camphor. 



396 

This plant may be given either in powder, tincture or infu- 
sion ; dose of the powder, thirty grains. It may be boiled in 
milk and drunk freely. A syrup may also be made. 

HEAET SNAKEKOOT, {Asaru7n Virginicum.) Grows in 
rocky soils. Fl. July. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 218; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 219; "a 
stimulating diaphoretic, fully equal to the Arist. Serp." Proba- 
bly possessed of similar properties to the other. Milne, in his 
Ind. Bot. 73, alludes to this species as one of the strongest of 
the vegetable errhines — the roots and leaves being used. "The 
fresh leaves applied to the nostrils speedily terminate attacks of 
slight cold by the discharge which they induce." Those who 
snuff find it a valuable addition to tobacco — the dried leaves 
being powdered and mixed with it. The decoction and infusion 
of this were considered emetic, and great relief was said to have 
been afforded by it in periodical headaches, vertigo, etc.; one 
scruple of the fresh or one drachm of the dried root and leaves 
was employed as an emetic and cathartic. 

Asa}-um arifolium, Mich. Grows in shaded, rich soils ; col- 
lected in St. John's Berkeley, near Whitehall PL; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. May. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 217. This, no doubt, partakes of the prop- 
erties of the others, if it is not identical; Linnaeus proposes it 
as a substitute for ipecac ; and Dr. Cutler says that the 
powdered root, in moderate doses, acts as a gentle emetic, one 
and a half drachm given in substance. The "tincture possesses 
both emetic and cathartic virtues." This, like the farmer, is a 
very powerful sternutatory ; when the powdered leaves are used, 
the discharge from the nose will sometimes last for three days, 
hence it has been applied in this way with great advantage in 
stubborn disorders of the head, palsies, etc. "A case in which 
there was paralysis of the mouth and tongue was cured by one 
application of it." 

AMAEANTACEiE. (The Amaranth .Tribe.) 

The leaves of many of the species are wholesome and mucila- 
ginous. 

FORTY-KNOT, (Achyranthes repens, Ell.) Diffused; grows 
in tlic streets of Charleston. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 311. It is possessed of well marked 



397 

diuretic properties, and is employed in ischury and dysury, and 
in the gravelly complaints of old persons. In Fairtield District, 
S. C, it has lately been employed with decided success in several 
cases of dropsy, but sharing the fate of all other diuretics in 
being sometimes inefficient in cases depending upon organic 
changes, or produced by causes other than those connected with 
the circulation. It is given in decoction — a handful of the herb 
to a pint of water — of which a wineglassful is taken three times 
a day. I have used this plant as a diureticin the City Hospi- 
tal, Charleston, under my care 1867, and find it to be possessed 
of decidedly diuretic properties. 

SALTWOET, (Salsola kali.) Sandy shores; Georgia and 
northward. 

Among the plants used in procuring soda in Spain, are " the 
different species of Salsola, Salicornia, and Batis maritima. The 
ZosterM maritima is burnt in some places on the borders of the 
Baltic. In this country (Scotland, see Thornton's Fam. Her- 
bal.) we burn the various species of fuci, and in France they 
burn the Chenopodium maritimum. In order to obtain it the 
carbonate must be treated like potash of commerce, with lime 
and ardent spirits as described before." Within the limits of 
the Southern States we have all the above plants, save C. mari- 
timum. Little doubt, however, exists in my mind that our 
several species of worm seed, {Chenopodium,') will be found to 
contain potash or soda in large amount. Some plants, " which 
in their native soil yield only potash, afford also soda if they 
are cultivated in the neighborhood of the sea." " The soda is 
more or less pure according to the nature of the particular 
plant from which it is obtained," (Thornton.) The species of 
Salicornia are found on the coast of Florida and northward. 
Batis maritima, L. "Salt marshes, Apalachicola, and north- 
ward." Zostera marina, L. West Florida and northward. 
(Chapman's So. Flora.) See ^^ Sapindus" and " Saponaiia," in 
this volume, p. 159, where the salsola has been treated of in 
connection with the "soap wort." 

Wilson says also of the Salsola kali that it is the best of our 
native plants for yielding "kelp, barilla, potash and soda, and 
was formerly collected in considerable quantities on our western 
coasts, and burned to yield soda for the manufacture of glass, 
and for other purposes. It grows freely from seed, and does 



398 

not require any great nicety of management, yet never has, been 
carefully cultivated." Rural Cyc. See, also, " Fiicus," in this 
volume, for method of prepai'ing barilla and soda from sea 
weeds. 

I introduce the following brief process for the manufacture of 
soda, as we have several plants in the Southern States which 
furnish it: Far the best mode now adopted is to procure it 
from sea water, but this may not always be attainable. " For 
the manufacture of soda, the marine plants are gathered at the 
season when their vegetation has terminated, and they are left 
to dry. A pit four feet square and three feet deep is dug in the 
earth ; this is heated with split wood, and the saline plants are 
afterward thrown gradually in. Combustion is continued dur- 
ing seven or eight days ; the ashes become fused in the pit, and 
remain in this state till the end of the process, when the com- 
bustion is completed; the whole is allowed to cool, and then the 
block of soda is divided into large pieces for the market." " In 
order that soda may possess all the requisite strength, it is 
necessary to separate it from the carbonic acid with which it is 
always united, and by which its properties are weakened. This 
is easily done by mixing quick-lime with a solution of soda ; the 
acid has so strong an affinity for lime as to quit the soda to 
combine with it. The lye procured from this mixture is caustic, 
and leaves a burning impression upon the tongue ; the soda thus 
purified acts more readily upon the bodies with which it com- 
bines. This mode of preparation is indispensable when soda is 
to be employed with oil in the manufacture of hard soap ; it is 
useless when it is to be combined at a strong heat with earthy 
bodies, as is the case in glass works." Ohaptal also copies from 
M. DeSaussure's Treatise on Vegetation a very extensive table, 
giving the constituents of a great many plants, trees, etc., which 
the reader may consult. Among the plants used in preparing 
soda on the Mediten-anean are the Salicornia Europea, the Sal- 
sola tragus, the Statics limonium, the Atriplex j^ojiulacoides, the 
Salsola kali. "We have growing in South Carolina and Georgia 
the Salsola kali, and the Stgtice Carolinana, Walt., which should 
be tested, the Atriplex hastata, and the two species of Salicornia, 
mentioned above, which also grow on our coast. To show the 
alliance of the natural families in physical resemblances and 
natural properties, I find Chenopodium, Atriplex, Salicornia and 



399 

Salsola all in one tribe, and each rich in potash or soda. The 
fumitory (Famaria) is one of the plants richer in potash than 
the wormwood, {Ghenopodium.) 

GLASSWOET, (Salico)-nia herbacea, L.) Salt marshes along 
the coast of Georgia and Carolina. 

We have two species of this genus, which is celebrated, com- 
mercially, for the production of alkaline salts. Wilson states of 
S. herbacea that the whole plant abounds in saline juices, and 
possesses a saline taste ; and that it was formerly burned in 
common with the richly alkaline fuel in the manufacture of 
kelp ; that it is greedily eaten by sheep and cattle, and that it is 
sometimes gathered and used as a substitute for rock samphire 
in Scotland. See " Salsola." 

CHENOPODIACB.E. (The Goose-foot Tribe.) 

Some are wholesome, others possess an essential oil, which is 
tonic and anti-spasmodic. The beet and spinach, cultivated in 
the Southern States, belong to this order. 

JAGGED S^A-OHACH., (Atriplexlaciniata, L.) Grows along 
salt streams. Fl. July. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 247. The expressed juice, in doses of four 
to eight grains, is said to act as a powerful purgative. Accord- 
ing to Schoepf, it is used as a substitute for gamboge in dropsy 
and asthma. 

JEEUSALEM OAK; WOUMSE^D, (Chenopodiim anthel- 
minticum, L.) Diffused ; collected in St. John's ; vicinity of 
Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Linnteus, Veg. M. Med.; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 274; 
Ebcrle, Mat. Med. 218 ; Ell. Bot. i, 331 ; Chap. Therap. and Mat. 
Med. ii, 71; Drayton's View of South Carolina, 65; Frost's 
Eleras. Mat. Met. 191 ; U. .S. Disp. 206 ; Bart. M. Bot. ii, 183 ; 
Am. Journal Pharm. v, 180 ; Bergii, Mat. Med. i, 183 ; Griffiih's 
Med. Bot. 538. It is well known as "one of our most efficient 
indigenous anthelmintics," adapted to the expulsion of lumbrici 
in children. Eberle employed the oil of the seeds with success 
in these cases, after every other remedy had failed. The dose 
to a child under five years is two drops ; to an adult thirty 
drops, given on sugar grated in water. The expressed juice may 
he used, or a decoction of the leaves in milk, a wineglassful at a 
dose, for the oil impregnates the whole plant. The dose of the 



400 

seed, for a child two years old, is from one to two scruples, 
mixed with syrup or bruised in castor oil. The distilled water 
may also be used. These plants are much employed on the 
plantations in South Carolina and Georgia for their anthelmin- 
tic properties, the seeds being collected in the fall. Dr. Wood 
states that the plant is cultivated in Maryland. 

The wormwood, (Artemisia,) of which there is a species (A. 
caudata) growing in West Florida and northward, is said to be 
rich in potash. This plant should also be examined for the 
active principle santonine, and for an essential oil. The Chenopo- 
dium, of which we have several species, although not belonging 
to the same natural family, is perhaps equally rich in potash. 
The " wormwood is highly recommended to be converted into 
charcoal, to be used in the manufacture of gunpowder." See 
" Salix." In fact, all the Chenojpodiums are also rich in alkaline 
salts, potash, etc., and may be used for its manufacture. The 
Persian insect powder, a species o£ Pyrethrum, (or Persian cham- 
omile,) destroys insects with great certainty. I think it likely 
that some of the plants just mentioned, the milfoil, (^Achillea 
millefolium,) the tansy, (Tanacetum vulgare,) or ox-eye daisy, 
{Leucanthemum vulgare, L.,) all growing in the Southern States, 
may possibly be found to answer the purpose of destroying 
insects, caterpillars, etc., on plants and animals. They contain a 
pungent oil. There is a notice of the Pyrethrum (roseum, jJur- 
piireum and carneum) in Patent Office Eeports, 1857, 129. 

See, also, Dasistoma for plant hostile to insects. 

I have several times stated that the allied Artemisia, worm- 
wood, was exceedingly rich in potash. The natural affinities 
are here borne out, for the family Chenipodiaceoi contains many 
plants furnishing soda in large proportion. Such are Salsola, 
Salicornia, Atriplex and salt-marsh Chenopodiums ; a notice of 
species of all these genera is included in this volume. They 
should receive the attention of the nitre manufacturers, Nitrate 
of potash " is found in the common horseradish, in the nettle, 
and the sunflower." Farmer's Bncyc. 

JERUSALEM OAK OF SOME, {Chenopodium botrys, Ph.) 
Grows near Columbia. Fl. August. 

U. S. Disp. 206 ; Le. Mat. Med. 235 ; Ed. and Yav. Mat. Med. 
304 ; Bergii, Mat. Med. i, 181 ; Mer. and de L. Pict. de M. Med. 
ii, 225 ; Shec. Flora. Carol. 388 ; Dem. Elem. de Bot. 250. The 



401 

juice of this is also carminative, pectoi*al, emmenagogiie and 
vermifuge ; the essential oil is anti-spasmodic, tonic and vermi- 
fuge. An infusion, as a tea, is resolutive and expectorant, and 
is useful in flatulent colic, spasmodic cough, humoral asthma, 
and in hysteria. The expressed juice of this species is given 
in doses of a tablespoonful, in molasses, to children affected 
with worms, or the seeds are reduced to a powder, and made 
into an electuary with syrup. See Milne, Ind. Bot. 76; Linn. 
Vcg. M. Med. 41. " It is asserted ," observes Shec. Flora. Carol. 
389, "that the whole seeds produce worms in the stomach, and 
if a parcel be baked in a loaf of bread they will generate worms. 
Such is the belief; what credit may be due to it, I leave to the 
determination of those who either have, or may hereafter, put 
it to the trial !" 

Chenopodium amhrosioides, Ph. Vicinity of Charleston ; grows 
in Georgia, according to Pursh ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Lind. JSTat. Syst, Bot. The essential oil of this is also tonic 
and anti-spasmodic. U. S. Disp. 206. Plenk reports five cases 
of chorea cured by the infusion made with two drachms to one 
ounce of water, of which a cup full is to be taken morning and 
night. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 222. M. Mack used 
it, with equal success, in the hospital at Vienna, in this and in 
other nervous affections; see, also, the supplement to the work 
last mentioned, 1846, p. 165. It is employed by M. Martins in 
the "injection of the mucous membrane of the lungs." MM. 
Rilliet and Barthez used it in the chorea of infants particularly, 
Ann. des Sci. Nat. xii, 220 ; Bouchardat, Ann. de Therap. 1844; 
Gazette de Med. de Saltzburg, Bill Med. xii, 516. It is found, 
by chemical analysis, to possess various products, the most im- 
portant of which are gluten and a volatile oil. Bull, des Sc. 
Med. de Ferus, vii, 225. The infusion emits a very strong, 
aromatic odor, and is used in parts of this country in the place 
of tea. 

LAMB'S QUARTER, {Chenopodium album, L.) Richland ; 
vicinity, of Charleston ; N. C. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 223 ; Phys. Med. Trans., 
Calcutta, ii, 40. It is a sedative and diuretic; used in hemor- 
rhoids. Chevallier remarks the singular fact that the C. vulva- 
ria, a foreign species, exhales pure ammonia during its whole 
existence. This is the only observation on record of a gaseous 
26 



402 

exhalation of azote by perfect vegetables, and the facility with 
which this principle is abandoned b}^ ammonia may, perhaps, 
explain the presence of azotic products in the vegetable king- 
dom. Ann. des Sci. Nat. i, 444 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 209. It 
might be interesting to observe whether anything of this kind 
takes place in our species. 

The above was printed by me in 1849. Worm-seed plant is 
said to be very rich in potash- — and wormwood has been planted 
for the manufacture of glass^ — if so, the note on the subject of 
the C. vulvaria exhaling^ ammonia is corroborated by the above 
observation. I have learned, June, 1862, that an enterprise was 
set on foot several years since near Columbia, S. C, to cultivate 
the wormwood on a large scale for the production of potash. 
See "Poke weed." The sugar-maple is very rich in potash, 
probably the other maples also. See Sahola, Quercus, Zea, 
Phytolacca, etc., in this volume. The young shoots of the 
Lamb's quarter have been used for making soup. 

SANTALACEiE. 

OIL NUT, {Pyrularia oJeifera, Gray. Hamiltonia oleifera, 
Muhl.) Mts. Ga. and northward. 

The nut of this plant affords a great deal of oil, which should 
be examined. 

PHYTOLACCACEyE. {The Virginia Poke Tribe.) 

POKE WEED ; JEW POKE, {Phytolacca decandra, L.) Dif- 
fused in rich spots; Newbern. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 537; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 135; Bell's Pract. Diet. 
355; Bart. M. Bot. ii, 213; Am. Journal Pharm. xv, 169; Mm-- 
ray's App. Med. iv, 335 ; Kalm, Travels in N. Am. p. 197 ; Graf- 
fenreid, Mem. Berne, iii, 185 ; Schoepf, M. Med. 71 ; Browne, 
Hist. Jamaica, 232 ; Amsen. Acad, iv ; Miller's Diet., art. Phyt. 
Dec; Sprogel, Diss. Cirven. 24; Beckman, Com. 1764, 9; Alli- 
oni. Flora Ped. ii, 132 ; Franklin's Works, i ; Cutler, M6m. Am. 
Acad, i, 447; Eush, i, 259; Thacher's U. S. Disp. 300; Shultz's 
Inaug. Diss. N. Am. Journal, vi; Journal de Med. de Corvisart 
Leroux, xvi, 137 ; Ann. de Chim. Ixii, 71 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. v, 298; Coxe, Am. Dis. 486 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 
210. The juice of the leaves or berries, inspissated in the sun 



403 

to the consistence of an extract, will, it is said, discuss hard 
tumors if applied to the part, " and destroy cancers by eating 
them out by the roots !" (Am. Herbal, by J. Stearos.) Mixed 
with brandy, it is extolled in the cure of rheumatism, easing 
pain and producing discharge of the cutaneous and urinary 
secretions. One ounce of the dried root infused in a pint of 
wine is said to act kindly as an emetic, in doses of two table- 
spoonsful. Bigelow also was of the opinion that it resembled 
ipecacuanha in its mode of operation ; but later experimenters 
give an unfavorable report, as it is sometimes uncertain, acting 
too powerfully by accumulation. The pulverized root is also 
emetic in doses of one to two drachms. " The tincture of the 
ripe berries seems to have acquired a well-founded reputation as 
a remed}^ in chronic and sj'philitic rheumatism, and for allaying 
83'philitic pains." By some thought to be more useful than 
guuiac. The decoction has been used in scrofula also. A spirit 
distilled from the berries killed a dog in a few moments by its 
violent emetic effect; and, according to De Candolle, it is a 
powerful purgative. The French and Portuguese mixed it with 
their wine, to give it color, and this was prohibited by royal 
ordinance of Louis XIV, "on pain of death, as it injured the 
flavor!" Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 210; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. 
Med. states that two spoonsful of the juice of the old plant, 
which is acrid, will purge violently ; applied externally, it will 
irritate the skin, and it is used in the cure of sanious ulcers, 
cutaneous eruptions, itch and hemorrhoids ; for the latter affec- 
tion, an infusion is injected per rectum. Drs. Jones and Kol- 
lock, of Georgia, assure us (adds Merat) that they cure syphilis 
with it, in all its stages, without the use of mercury. Dr. Minge, 
of Norfolk, Va., I am informed, has found a tincture very bene- 
ficial in secondary syphilis, made with an ounce of the bruised 
root added to a pint of equal parts of whiskey and water — a 
dessert spoonful of which is given three times a day and grad- 
ually increased. Dr. Eush relates that several students of Yale 
College were severely purged from eating the flesh of pigeons 
which had fed on the berries. From the analysis in Annal. de 
Chimie, Ixii. 71, it is shown to contain an enormous quantity of 
potash, 42 in 100 parts, and it is proposed to cultivate it for the 
manufacture of this article. From later examinations of Dr. E. 
Donnelly, (Am. Jour. Pharm. ix, 168,) it appears to contain gum 



404 

resin 262, starch 20, potash 2, a small quantity of fixed oil and 
66.5 of woodj^ fibre. According to the U. S. Disp., it is also 
somewhat narcotic, and, as an emetic, is considered very slow- 
in its operation, sometimes not acting for several hours, and 
then frequently upon the bowels ; but the vomiting produced 
by it is not attended with pain or spasm. In over doses, its 
effects are quite dangerous. As an alterative, the dose is from 
one to five grains ; as an emetic, ten to thirty grains of the pow- 
dered root. Dr. Grifiith has also used it with success in syphi- 
litic rheumatism, (Med. Bot. 535.) In the supplement to the 
Diet. Univ. de M. Med. 1846, 557, it is said to have been used 
with good effect in paralysis of the intestines. Precis des Tra- 
vaux de I'Acad. de Eouen,- 188, 1838; Comptes Rendus Heb- 
dom. des Sci. iv, 12, January, 1837. The ointment, prepared by 
mixing one drachm of the powdered root or leaves with one 
ounce of lard, has been applied with advantage in diseases affect- 
ing the scalp, as psora, tinea capitis, etc. Dr. Bigelow was suc- 
cessful with it, and Dr. Haynard cured cases in which sulphur 
had failed. A gentleman informs me that he has frequently 
Been the sores of secondary syphilis heal up by the application 
of a strong decoction of the roots. Dr. Braconnot considers the 
yellow liquor produced by the juice of the beri'ies one of the 
most delicate tests of the presence of acids. Dr. Shultz pro- 
cured from a half bushel of the berries six pints of spirits, 
sufficiently strong to take fire and burn with readiness; if this 
is correct, it might be used as a local application in place of 
alcohol. The root of the plant should be dug in autumn, sliced, 
dried and kept in close-stopped bottles. 

Dr. J. H. Claiborne, of Petersbui'g, Va., reports in the Con- 
federate S. Med. J. March, 1864, the successful use in camp itch 
of a decoction of this plant and the Broom sedge or broom straw, 
(Eupatorium ?) He uses the strong decoction of the former as 
a bath, followed by the application of soap and water. If it 
causes pain the decoction of the broom straw is substituted. 
He has also used the saturated tincture of the berries of P. de- 
candra in teaspoonful doses, three times a da}', as a laxative 
and alterative. 

Dr. K. Moore, of Sumter District, S. C, informs me that the 
berries of the poke in alcohol or whiskey, a dessert spoonful re- 
peatedly given, has been found one of the most cflScicnt remedies 



405 

wc possess in rheumatism. Dr. Ballard, of the same district, 
has used it with satisfactory results for fifty years. It is very 
generally employed in this way by many. The root is com- 
monly used, applied externally, to cure mange in dogs. The 
root should be dug late in autumn, or during the winter, and 
the powder kept in close-stopped bottles, as it deteriorates. 

Afriendin Powhattan County, Va., informs me that they use 
the decoction of the poke root applied externally to cure fistulae, 
and sores often occurring on the legs of horses which are very 
difficult to heal. The following was very generally used in the 
hog cholera which prevailed so extensively during the years 
'63-4: " Equal proportions of pine tops and poke root boiled 
down to a strong tea. A tablespoonful of copperas and a half 
pint of salt are added to every five gallons of the tea given in- 
ternally." Dr. G. S. Fenner has found it highly useful as an in- 
ternal i^med}^ in granular conjunctivitis, especially in preventing 
the relapses to which the affection is so liable. A saturated tinc- 
ture of the berries may be given in rheumatic cases in the doses 
of a fluid drachm three times a day. Dr. Fenner uses a saturated 
decoction, of which he gives a wineglassful every two or three 
hours. Dr. H. E. Carey, of Ohio, has cured three cases of sj^cosis 
and one of favus by the local use of a decoction of the root. 
(Va. Med. Journal, Aug., 1856,) U. S. Disp. See Stethoscope 
March, 1856, for case of poisoning caused in a woman by eating 
a double handful of the berries. There was free purgation fol- 
lowed by coma and prostration — death did not result until after 
the sixth day. 

An excellent crimson dye is thus prepared, (Thornton's So. 
Gardener :) to two gallons of the juice of pokeberries, when they 
are quite ripe, add half a gallon of strong vinegar made of the 
wild crab-apple, (ordinary vinegar will do, as the writer has 
seen,) to dye one pound of wool, which must be washed very 
clean with hard soap ; the wool when wrung dry is to be put 
into the vinegar and pokeberry juice and simmered in a copper 
vessel for one hour, then take out the wool and let it drip awhile, 
and spread it in the sun. The vessel must be free from grease 
of any kind. 

The writer has seen articles dyed successfully with this plant. 
The "Solferino" color is obtained from it; see p. 218. With 
alum to fix the color, I have used the juice of the pokeberry as 



-lOli 

a rod ink. Tho directiona to iho printer for this volume were 
written with this ; before iiddina; uliun I found that the red color 
was fugitive. The berries boiled with sugar for a few minutes so 
as not to burn, "vvith the aildition of a little alcohol and alum, 
make an excellent red ink and may also be used to color cus- 
tards, creams, etc. Tho young shoots of tho poke are often used 
as a spinach. 

The juice of tho leaf of the garden Tanya makes an indelible 
ilark brown dye. I would suggest that tho addition of nitrate 
of .<ilver. sulphate of iron, or alum would make an indelible iidc 
for marking linen. 

POLYGONACE.E. {The Buckwheat Tribe.) 

The loaves and roots are generally acrid and agreeable. 

BOCK, {^Jiume.vcrit^pus, L.) Grows around buildings* ; diffusetl ; 
collected in St. John's; Newborn. Fl. June. 

Ell. Bot. 414; U. S. Disp. G06. The decoction is astringent, 
alterative and tonic, uniting a laxative i>ower with those, and 
resembling rhubarb in its mode of oporaticni. It has boon used 
with success as an alterative in itch and syphilis; the powdered 
root with milk, or as an ointment, or the expressed juice is ap- 
plied externally in scabies, ring-worm and in eruptive diseases. 

Dr. N.S.Davis, " is satisfied from his experiments and ob- 
servations that the chief value of dockroot " consists in its alte- 
rative and gently laxative qualities, no doubt on account of the 
saline constituents of this genus. As an alterative ho osteonis it 
to be "fully equal to tho far-famed sarsaparilla." It might prove 
a useful drink in scrofulous habits. 

Dr. J. H. Salisbury has published a paper upon this plant N. 
Y. J. ALod., March, 1855. The petioles contain nearly one per 
cent, of oxalic acid. The root yields its virtues to water and 
alcohol, but is injured by long boiling. U. S. Disp. 

It is recommended as a dontritice, especially where the gums 
are spongy. 

It is supposed that our species possess all tho virtues of the 
ofticinal; two ounces of the fresh root, or one ounce of the dried 
may be boiled in a pint of water, of which two ounces can be 
taken at a dose. 

SOKREL; SHEEP'S SOKREL, ^Ihonex acctoseUa, Walt. 
Flora Carol.) Abundant in sandy ])asturos ; collected in St. 
John's; Kichland; Newborn. Fl. Juno. 



407 

U. S. Dinp. fi05; Po. Mat. Med. ii, 279; Ed. and Vav. Mat. 
Mod. 530; IJcr^ni, Mat. Mod.i, 300; Griflith Med. liot. 546. Thm 
in alHO coriHidorcd one of the most valuable of the HpocicH. It is 
refrigerant and diuretic, and in cnnployed an an article of diet in 
Hcorbutic cotnplaintH ; the young shootH may be eaten aH a salad ; 
but it iH said to prove injurious in large quantities, on account 
of the oxalic acid exiHting in it. The bruiHod plant is often ap- 
plied to hores, and it is thought to be very active in allaying in- 
llammation — doubtless owing to its saline constituents. 

IHants containing Vegetahle Acids. — The acids vary during the 
several stages of vegetation — these are the oxalic, citric, rnalic, 
tartaric, gallic, acetic, Prussic, etc. Oxalic acid has been found 
by M. J>ey(^ux free in the hulls of the chickpea, and it has been 
extracted from the expressed juice of the plant; also found in 
the stalks and leaves of sorrel, and in the juice of all the varie- 
ties of»rhubarb, (Chaptal.) It is used in detecting the presence 
oi" lime, and its power of dissolving rapidly the oxide of iron 
makes it useful in stainpinrj cotton dotkn. "In this process the 
whole fabric is covered with a mordant of iron, which is after- 
ward removed by means of this acid combined with gum — 
so that the color applied adheres firmly only to those parts where 
the mordant has not been destroyed." It is also used in re- 
trioving ink spots from cloth. When under the tuition of M. 
liobin, in Paris, I have frequently examined the peculiar crys- 
tals in the several i>lants put under the microscopjj. 

The astringency of the root of the dock is due to tannic acid, 
and the acidulousncss of the leaves to tartaric acid and the bin- 
oxalate of potash. This is almost destroyed by drying, 

Wilson observes of the limnex acefosa, the "common dock " of 
England, which is closely related to our Ji. acetosclla, that it has 
been celebrated from very ancient times for its cooling, anti- 
scorbutic, diuretic and gratefully esculent projjcrties. The ex- 
pressed juice of its leaves, or a decoction of them in whey, 
affords a useful drink in cases of inflammatory fever, and the 
leaves themselves, eaten freely as a salad, cool the blood, and 
act as either a cure or a preventive of scurvy. It is also much 
used as a salad, and as a season for soups, broths, etc. Itural 
(Jyc. Now that we know the comj)osition of the juices of the 
sorrel we can well understand to what to ascribe its cooling and 
diuretic properties. There is an Italian proverb which says 



408 

that tho " sorrel always grows with the thistle " — the leaves of 
the first being particularly grateful when applied over parts irri- 
tated by the stings of the last. Our plant is not so useful as the 
English one. 

Mills, in his Statistics of S. C, states of tho narrow leaved 
dock " that the roots give to cloth, previously bleached, from a 
straw to a pretty fine olive and deep green color. The salt of 
lemon is prepared from the juice of the sorrel, dock or common 
sorrel. 

COMMON DOCK, (^Ru77iex obtitsifolms, L. Jiumex divaricatus, 
Ell.) Diftuscd; around buildings; introduced. 

"A decoction of its root is highly efficacious in obstinate 
cases of the kind of skin diseases called ichthyosis, and when 
taken in large quantity — as well, indeed, as the decoction of 
any of the fusiform dockroots — it acts as a purgative, in tho 
same manner as the poAvderor the tincture of Turkey rhubarb." 
Wilson's Rural Cyc. According to Eiegel, this plant contains a 
peculiar principle called 7-umicin. The leaves of most of the 
species are edible when young, and are occasionally used as 
spinach. They are somewhat laxative, and form an excellent 
diet in scorbutic cases. TJ. S. Disp. Our various species of 
Bumtw may, upon examination, be found to be capable of sup- 
plying the place of cathartics, when difficult to be obtained. 

DRAGON'S BLOOD, {Rumex sanguineKS, Walt.) Flora 
Carol. Grows around Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. 240. The root is astringent, stomachic 
and *ccoprotic. Linn. Veg. Mat. Med. 65. This and the seeds 
are used in dysentery and in wounds ; referred to in Mer. and do 
L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 136, as a mild astringent. Journal de 
Med. xxiii, 415. Dr. Wood, in the TJ. S. Disp. 606, says that it 
may be used indiscriminate!}' with the officinal. 

Ji^oncx Britannicus, Walt. Swamps and along streams. Fl. 
May. U. S. Disp. 606. 

P. persicaria, L. Introduced. Fla. and northward. The leaves 
are very acrid and pungent, and will vesicate the skin when ap- 
plied in a fresh state. It was considered by eminent authorities 
to be an admirable astringent, vulnerary' and febrifuge ; and 
Baglivi states that it is a specific in diseases of the kidneys and 
bladder — seldom prescribed. Griffith. The flowers and flower 



409 

tops may be used for tanning. Sco M, Dussaueo's Treatise on 
Tanning, 1867. 

WATER PEPPER; SMAPTWEED ; BITIXG KNOT WEED, 

(Polygonum hydropiperoidcs, Mx. Polygonum mite, Ph.) Grows 
in damp, rich soils; collected in St. John's, where it grows 
abundantly, observed in Charleston; Piichland ; Newborn. El. 
July. The P. acre of Kunth is P. punctatum of Ell. Sk. 

p:b. Mat. Med i, 441 ; U. S. Disp. 559; Ed. and Vav. Mat. 
Med. 128; Le. Mat. Med. ii, 193; Ogier, in So. Journal Med. and 
Pharm. 1846 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. v, 433. In the 
Bull. Plantes Ven. de France, 140, the young leaves are said to 
ease the pain of gout, and the decoction is used with great suc- 
cess for dissipating old ulcers. Dera. Elem. de Bot. iii, 267. The 
expressed juice is an excellent diuretic and is applied to putrid 
ulcers^ "aqua hujus stillatltia efficax est ad comminuendum calcu- 
him etiam vesicae." See Ray's Catalogus Plantarum, 230. This 
plant is, however, more remarkable for its power in amenorr- 
hoja. Eberle asserts that he employed it in twenty cases, and 
was never more successful. Dr. Ogier, of Charleston, S. C, has 
published cases in the journal alluded to above, confirming its 
value. One to two ounces of the strong infusion are given two 
or three times a day, or a tincture may be used. The juice of 
this plant is very acrid and caustic to the taste, and it is said 
to blister the skin. A friend informs me that he has repeat- 
edly found an ointment made with the leaves give immediate 
relief when applied to piles in an irritable and painful condition. 
Dr. Wilcox, of Elmira, N. Y., reports in the Am. J. Med. Sc. N. 
S. xvi, 248, that he derived advantage from using a decoction 
of the dried leaves, made in the proportion of an ounce to the 
pint, and applied locally in mercurial salivation and the sore 
mouth of nursing children. U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. It is stated 
in the Flora Scotica, 207, that it is found a convenient and use- 
ful application for driving off flies from wounds, occurring on 
cattle for instance ; the decoction will dye a yellow color. Linn. 
Veg. Mat. Med. 71; Boyle, de Util. Philosoph. Nat. pt. ii, 69. 
This plant should be selected with care, as it differs but slightly 
from the P. mite and others, which possess no value. It may 
be distinguished by its burning taste, by the sharp, pellucid 
leaves and simple flower-stalk, with the stamens and pistil of 



410 

equal length. The stipules are long, truncated and fringed, 
with the margin and niidi-ib of the leaves slightly scabrous. 

A writer from Manchester, S. C, 1862, recommends the use of 
this plant in camp dysentery, thus : " Draw a strong tea and 
use instead of water, with or without sugar, hot or cold, as the 
patient may prefer. It may be drunk freely, having no un- 
pleasant effect. It may bo gathered and dried in the shade or 
used fresh. I am informed that this plant stupefies fish. 

KNOTGRASS, (PoJygomim avicidare, L.) Diff'used ; grows 
in pastures and yards; Richland; collected in St. John's; ob- 
served in the streets of Charleston; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. 211 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M.Med, v, 440; 
TJ. S. Disp. 558. According to the Encyclopoedia the root is 
powert^illy astringent, and is used in diarrhtva and in uterine 
hemorrhage. Dem.de Bot. iii, 268; Linn. Yeg. M. Med. 72; 
Am. Herbal. 164. It is stated in the Supplem. to the Diet, do 
M. Mtki. 1846, 578, that Dr. Bourgoies announced, in 1840, that 
this plant was an excellent febrifuge, and was used in middle 
Africa and Algeria as a substitute for quinine, and furthermore, 
that the assertion was not doubted. Dr. Levat. Perroton, of 
Lyons, gives it as an excellent remedy for chronic diarrhcva, 
using a strong decoction for a month or more; he reports nine 
cases cured which bad resisted other plans of treatment. See 
Revue Medicale, Nov., 1845; Flor. Med. ii, 107. It has also 
been administered in hematemesis. This plant had some repu- 
tation in these diseases in former times. It was said to bo 
emetic and purgative, useful in hernia, and in arresting the 
vomiting of blood, and was regarded as an excellent vulnerary 
in moderating fluxes, diarrhiva and dysentery. CJritfith, in his 
Med. Bot. 546, observes that the emetic property so unusual in 
this genus is thought by De Candole to reside in the testa. 
Thunberg, in his " Voyage," mentions that in Japan the}' ob- 
tain a color from it similar to that from indigo. As the leaves 
of F. hispidum are said b}- Humboldt to be substituted in S. 
America for tobacco, the leaves of some of our species should 
bo tested with this view. 

Polyyoniun poUjgama, Vent, and Malt. Polygonum parvifolia, 
Mx. Grows in sandy pine barrens; Richland District. 

Big. Am. Med. Hot. iii, 12!) ; U. S. Disp. 558. In small doses it 



ill 

iH tonic ; in lar^e laxative and diaphoretic. Bigclow says tlio 
infuHion is uhcIuI in imparting tone to the digcHtive organs. 

Polygonum, convolvulus and scandens, L. Grow in dry soil and 
puHtu res ; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. Fi. 
August. 

Griffith's Med. Bot. 517. " Tho seeds closely resemble buck- 
wheat, afid may be substituted for them." 

BUCK WHEAT, (Polygonum fogopyrurn.) Cultivated in the 
Southern States. 

JllIUBAIiB, (Rheum palmatum Sind ern/jdii.) Ex. 

I insert this plant and Beta here, I hope correctly, being un- 
able at this time to assure myself of their place in the Natural 
system. The cultivation of rhubarb, rosemary, sage, rue, cham- 
omile and many other medicinal plants, is briefly described in 
the Patent Office Reports, 1854. See, also, seven articles in the 
" Bath papers, vol. 1," giving an account of the mode of culture 
in England. The superiority of foreign rhubarb is by some as- 
cribed to a better mode of drying. Rural Cyc. See a paper 
translated by E. G. Smith, in Patent OflSce Reports, 1848, p. 604, 
for varieties, mode of cultivation and relative value, also, med- 
ical authors. 

In Patent Office Reports, 1855, p. 25, is an ai-ticle on the culti- 
vation of the medicinal rhubarb, (H. palmatum.) " In the middle 
and cooler parts of the United States the seeds may be sown in 
March in a gentle hot-bed, and when the roots are an eighth of 
an inch in diameter they may be carefully drawn up, preserving 
the tap-root, and planted in a fine, rich and deep soil," etc., etc. 
In the Middle and Southern States, if planted in the spring, 
they thrive in the open air. They should be shaded from very 
hot weather, and continually watered. They are, however, in- 
jured by a superabundance of moisture. In the month of Au- 
gust, or before, the seed -stalks should be cut off, which ought 
always to be done on the withering of the radical leaves and 
*^he crowns of the plants should then be covered with mould in 
the form of a hillock. The largest specimens of this drug have 
generally been allowed to grow six or seven years. The roots 
are then very large, sometimes weighing from thirty to fifty 
pounds. The Chinese take up their rhubarb in winter, as they 
then contain the entii'e juice and virtue of the plant. They are 



•U2 

cut transvorsoly into piooos of modorato size, unci this should 
not bo dehvyod. Those are thon phu'oil on long tablos or boards, 
and turned throo or four tiiuos a day, in order that the yellow, 
viscid juice may incorporate with the substance of the root. 
They are thon hung up to dry, exposed to the air and wind, 
but sheltered from the sun. Thus in about two months the 
roots are completely cured. Much loss in weight occurs in 
drying. 

Those interested in the culture of rhubarb will tind an excel- 
lent account of the success with which it was raised in Kiighmd, 
ofgootl quality, in Thornton's Family Herbal. Consult Pereira's 
Materia Medica, and other treatises on the subject. The impor- 
tation of rhubarb into the Confetlerate States during the war 
was enormous, and it comnnindoii a very high price. The 
greatest ditterence exists in the quality of the roots. Turkey 
rhubarb imported from l?ussia is the best. I will state in pass- 
ing that the Keport for lSr)5 also contains notices of the best 
mode of cultivating many other medicinal plants — such as the 
rhatany, gall-nut oak, Iceland moss, liquorice, quassia, senna, 
gum arabic, etc. 

BEET; MANGEL-WUKZEIi, {Beta vuhjaris.) Introduced. 

Vinajdr having been quite important to us in the recent war, 
I inserted the following n\ethod which will enable us to supply 
the place of imju^rtod vinegar: The juice of one bushel of beet, 
which is easily obtained, will make from tive to six gallons of 
vinegar, equal to the best made of elder wine. Wash and grate 
the beets and express the juice in a cheese-press, or in any other 
way which a little Ingenuity can suggest; put the liquor iuto a 
baiTcl, cover the bung with gau7,e and sot it in the sun and in 
tifteen or twenty days it will be fit for use. The best vinegar is 
thus made. Boston Cultivator. The saccharine matter of course 
soon takes on the acid fermentation. So the ripe fig, the skins, 
etc., added to vinegar, increases largely the amount, and large 
quantities can thus bo easily made with the retuse or over-ripe 
tigs, which are read}* to be converted into vinegar. The juice 
of the watermelon can no doubt bo as easily converted into 
vinegar or boiled down into a syrup like molasses. 

The following is the ordinary process of extracting Su(jar 
from the beet: the roots are ivduced to a pulp by pressing 
them between two rough cylinders. The pulp is then put into 



4Vi 

ba^H, aii'l the Hap it contairiH Ih prcHHcd out, 'J'hc lif^iior in then 
Ijoilc'l, and the t-uccAnirlwa mattor pfccipitatcd hy quick-lirnc. 
'I'hc lifjiior Ih now poured off, and to the reKiduuni \h added a 
Holution of Hulphuric aeid, and again hoiied. The lime united 
with the aeid in got rid of by Ktraining, and the liquor iw then 
gently evaporated, or left to granulate .slowly, after whieh it in 
ready for undergoing tlie eommon proeeHH of refining raw 
Hugars. The Freneh manufacturerH have acquired ho much ex- 
perience, addH WilHon, that from every one hundred poundb of 
beet they exti-aet twelve poundH of Hugar in the short npace of 
twelve hourH. 

The .Silenian or white beet iH said to be the most profitable. 
"^J'he reader interchted in preparation of sugar from cane or 
beet may consult JiouHsingault'H Jtural ChemJBtry, Law'w Ed. 
12.'>, 1857, Ure'H Diet, of ArtH and ManufafHures, VVil.son'H 
Rural Cjclopoidia, and Chaptal'H Chemistry applied to Agri- 
culture. In France the Hame land from which the beet ban 
been cut is planted in wheat with advantage to the latter. 

Ah the cultivation of the beet may be undertaken at no dis- 
tant day, I inHert this brief plan by a correspondent of the 
Southern Field and Fireside: I will give you my plan of plant- 
ing and culture of beets. In the first j)laee I have ray ground 
broken up deeply ; then I have the ground covered over with 
Htable manure; have it plowed in tolerably deep; level the 
ground with a hoe or rake; hen-house manure is scattered over 
the ground ; hoe it in deep with a grubbing-hoe ; level it again ; 
lay off the rows eighteen inclies apart, and the hills one foot 
apart; and then they will grow without any trouble. In cul- 
tivating them I have the grass and weeds cut up between the 
rows. 1 have raised beets on the above plan that weighed five 
and six pounds apiece. 

It has been observed that beets containing sugar frequently 
underwent a change during winter, by whieli the sugar entirely 
disappeared, and "was replaced by salfprdre." Chaptal. 

HV^A.-(iliAVE, ( Coccoloba uvi/era,JiiC(i.) South Florida, along 
the coast. Chapman. This and 6'. Flori'lana furnish an as- 
tringent gum resin similar to kino, called Jamaica-Kino. M. 
Uussauce, in his "Treatise on the Arts of Tanning, Currying 
and Leather Dressing," Philada. and London, 1867, states that 
the >S'. American. Caraccas or Columbia kino is derived from 



414 

this plant whicli also grows in S. Anierica. The juices or sap of 
the boot, maple and oak also afford tannin. 

C. Floridana also grows in Florida. The fruit of some, 
though very astringent, is eaten by the natives; and the wood 
of the tallest and bulkiest is used as timber. Wilson's Rural 
Cye. 

MENISPEEMACE.E. (TAe Cocculus Tribe.) 

MOON-SEED; YELLOW PARILLA ; YELLOW SARSA- 
PARILLA, {Meimpcrmum Canadense, L.) Ell. never saw it, 
but thinks that it grows in the mountains. Dr. Gray determines 
a specimen sent from St. John's, Charleston District, by U. W. 
Ravenel, Esq., to be this. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 1275. It is said to be much used in Virginia by 
physicians ; an^ in domestic practice, as a substitute for sursa- 
parilla, in scrofulous and cutaneous affections. Ryddel, in his 
Synops. West. States, says that the roots are tonic, alterative 
and diuretic. Griffith, Med. Bot. 103. It is also employed by 
the vegetable practitioners. See Howard's Imp. Syst. Bot. Med. 
334. Said to be laxative and tonic, and used in debility and in 
giving tone to the stomach and nervous s^'stom. It is closely 
allied to Columbo. Mr. Maisch has determined that berherina 
and a colorless alkaloid are among its constituents. Am. J. 
Pharm., July, 18G3; U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

PYROLACEiE. {The Winter-green Tribe.) 

SPOTTED WINTER-GREEN, (Chimaphila maculata, Pursh ; 
Pijrola maculata, Linn.) Shaded soils; diffused; collected in 
St. John's; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. 

Chap. Therap. and Mat. Med. i, 313; Eberle, Mat. Med, ii, 
321 ; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 505 ; Eat. Man, Bot. 240 ; Bell's 
Pract, Diet. 128; Mitchell's Inaug. Thesis, 1803; Ed. and Vav. 
Mat. Med. 320; Pc. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 380; U. S. Disp. 
208 ; Bart, Collec, ii, 21 ; Lind, Nat, Syst. Bot. 219; U. S. Disp. 
207; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 281. See C. umbellata. "Every 
part of the plant is possessed of considerable activity ;" and it 
is very valuable as a diuretic in dropsy. See Mitchell's Thesis, 
and Dr. Summerville's paper in Lond. Med, Chirurg, Trans, vol. 
V. It is particularly useful in those cases attended with disor- 
dered digestion and general debility, for in these its tonic prop- 



415 

orticH and general acceptability to the stomach prove liighly 
useful auxiliaricH to its diuretic powers. It has been Huccess- 
fully administered in ascites, in dysuria and ischuria, gravel, 
stangnry, Iia;tnaturia, acute rheumatism, and in various inter- 
mittent disorders. The Indians considered it of universal 
efficacy; but emplo^'cd it particularly in nephritic, scrofulous 
and rheumatic disorders. Dr. Wood, in the U. S. Disp., states 
that it does prove of benefit in obstinate, ill-conditioned ulcers, 
and cutaneous eruptions supposed to be connected with a 
strumous diathesis : used both internal!}'' and locally as a wash. 
The decoction and watery extract are employed. A popular 
prejudice has existed against this plant; it has received the 
name of poison pipsissewa; and Mitchell considered it inert; 
but its resemblance to the winter-green, Griffith thinks, should 
make us question the correctness of this opinion. 

L^ times of war when there is need for tonics aind diuretics, 
in dropsy, or swelling following low and protracted fevers 
among our soldiers, no plant will be found more serviceable 
than the pipsissewa. It is aromatic, tonic and diuretic. It can 
be easily collected in shady woods, in almost every part of our 
Southern country. 

The black alder {Alnus serrulata) is also an astringent diuretic. 
The catkins or flowerets, dissolved in whiskey, is a domestic 
remedy in South Carolina — relied on by many, Dr. E. Moore 
infoj'ms me, in gonorrhea in place of copaiba. Pills of pine 
gum are given together with it. 

PIPSISSEWA; WINTEK-GIIEEN ; GROUND HOLLY, 
(^Chimaphila umbellatn, Nutt.) North Carolina and northward. 

Both the C. umbeUata and macxdata are used. Dr. Thompson 
says of the P. umbeUata: "It is diuretic and tonic. It has 
been given successfully in ascites, after digitalis and other diur- 
etics had failed ; and has also proved serviceable in acute rheu- 
matism and intermittents. It produces an agreeable sensation 
in the stomach soon after it is swallowed; increases the appe- 
tite, and acts powerfully on the kidneys." The whole plant is 
decocted. 

One of these plants may be used extemporaneously among 
troops for its combined tonic and diuretic properties, associated 
with astringency. Its uses consequently are obvious in the 
convalescence from fevers. It can be found in high woods near 



416 

almost every locality where a regiment is pitched. See '' Eupa- 
toriuvi,^' "Persimmon," "Dogwood," etc. 

In a pamphlet issued from the Surgeon-General's office it is 
stated that the C. maculata "is not to be gathered, as it is infe- 
rior." The decoction of either plant is made with the bruised » 
herb one ounce, water three half pints ; boil to one pint ; one 
pint to be given in the twenty-four hours, in divided doses. 
Pereira refers to both species as being useful. 

The decoction has been much used in scrofula. I have found 
the pipsissewa particularly serviceable as a tonic diuretic in the 
convalescence from scarlet fever, having used it largely in an 
epidemic which prevailed among a large number of negroes, 
(1862.) They were treated with chlorate of potash, Tincture 
of Bark and Mur. Tinct. of Iron, followed by the decoction of 
the plant with tincture of bark as a stimulant. I have also 
found it to act most beneficially in that pallid, anaemic, quasi 
dropsical state, particularly as it occurs in delicate children after 
they have passed through an attack of malarial fever — where 
this condition is met with in those with the strumous diathesis 
this plant will be found to act remarkably well. This plant has 
also been employed as a substitute for uva ursi. See Chemical 
Analysis in Journ. of Med. Coll. Pharm. March, 1860^ Prof. 
Proctor prepares a syrup and he suggests a fluid extract. See 
U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

Pyrola rotundifolia. Grows in South Carolina. See Chima- 
phila. 

MONOTROPACE^. 

F V£ -HOOT, (Monotropa uniflor a.) Grows in roads; attached 
to roots; collected in St. John's; Newbern. 

This is used by the steam practitioners. See Howard's Impr. 
Syst. Bot. Med. 339. 

EEICACE^. (The Heath Tribe.) 

Generally astringent and diuretic. 

Andromeda mariana, L. Dry soils. Eichland ; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. May and July. 

U. S. Disp. 1238 ; Mer and de L. Diet de M. Med. i, 289 ; Coxe, 
Am. Disp. 84 ; Shec. Flora Carol. 156. It is employed in do- 
mestic practice ; a remedy for herpes. The decoction is used 



417 

as a stimulating wash for ulcers and ground itch, to which no- 
groea are liable. The honey which bees extract from this is 
slightly poisonous. See Nicholson's Journal, 163. 

TETTER BUSH, {Andromeda nitida, Walt.) Grows in damp, 
pine land, bogs; collected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; 
N. C. Fl. April. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 483. A decoction of the leaves of 
this also is used in the cure of itch. The young branches, de- 
prived of their pith, form good pipe-stems, see Cliftonia ; and 
the bark, with copperas, yields a purple dye. Upon examina- 
tion I find that the leaves contain a great deal of tannin. See 
" Liqiiidambar," sweet-gum, for detail of experiments. 

SOUE-WOOD; SORREL TREE, (Andromeda arborea, L. 
O.vydendron arboreum, D. C.) Diffused; grows in upper districts 
S. andN. C. I collected it in St. John's, and Spaitan burg Dis- 
trict, S. C. 

UTS. Disp. 1227. The leaves, when chewed, allay thirst. A 
decoction of the bark and leaves is also given as a tonic. 

Leucothea acuminata, Andromeda acum,inata. Fla. Blufk Swamp, 
S. C; very ornamental. 

Dr. J. H. Mellichamp, of Blufion, writes me: "This is the true 
'Ti-ti.' The best pipe stems arc made from this shrub." See 
Cliftonia. 

Andromeda speciosa, Mich. Vicinity of Charleston. Bach. 

U. S. Disp. 1228. It is said to be a powerful errhine. Mr. 
Curtis in his catalogue applies the name " pepper bush " to ^i. 
ligustriyia. 

Andromeda angustifolia, Ph. Vicinity of Charleston. 

Griffith, Med. Bot. 223. This and the A. mariana are said to 
be poisonous to sheep. These should be examined for narcotic 
properties. 

WHITE ALDER, (Clethra alnifolia, L. C. tomentosa, Lam.) 
Abundant in wet pine lands and swamps throughout the South- 
ern States. 

Upon careful examination with reagents of the leaves of the 
plant, I find tannin in great amount. I recommend it with the 
leaves of sweet-gum, myrtle, etc., as a substitute for oak bark in 
tanning leather. See " Liquidambar " for detail of experiments. 

TRAILING ARBUTUS; GROUND LAUREL; MAY- 
FLOWER, {Epiga'a repens, L.) Fla. and northward. Chap. 
27 



418 

The flowers are fragrant. Dr. Darlington (Flora Cestr.) states 
that the plant has been supposed to be injurious to cattle when 
eaten by them. Dr. Eli Ives, of Connecticut, furnishes Dr. Wood 
with the following account: It has been freely used for some 
years in diseases of the urinary organs and of the pelvic viscera 
generally, particularly of irritated action in cases in which the 
uva ursi and buchu are indicated. The leaves and stems are ad- 
ministered in the same doses. It has given relief where the 
others have failed. U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. Prof. Gross in his work 
on the urinary organs, p. 172, ascribes the same properties to 
this plant. He says : " The best form of exhibition is a strong 
decoction prepared with one ounce of the dried leaves to a pint 
of water, of which a large wineglassfulmay betaken every three 
or four hours." 

SPICY WINTEE-GEEEN ; PAETE1DGE-BEEEY;M0UN- 
TAIN-BEEEY, {Gaultheria procumbens, Ph.) Grows in the 
mountains of South and North Carolina, Dr. MacBride ; New- 
bern. Fl. May. 

U. S. Disp. 345; Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 29; Lind. Nat. Sj^st. 
Bot. 221; Bart. M. Bot. i, 178; Kalm, Amoen. Acad, iii, 14 ; Bart. 
Collcc. i, 19 ; Eaf. Med. Fl. i, 202 ; Griffith Med. Bot. 425. The 
whole plant is aromatic. It possesses stimulant aromatic proj)- 
erties, united with astringency ; hence used with advantage in 
some forms of chronic dysentery. It is said to have also some 
anodyne power The infusion of the leaves has been found bene- 
ficial in amenorrhoea attended with debility, and in promoting 
the mammary secretion when deficient. In the Eevolutionry 
war it was used as a substitute for tea. The berries, which are 
aromatic and pleasant, are emploj^ed to flavor spirituous liquors. 
An infusion of them in brandy is a convenient and useful sub- 
stitute for the ordinary bitters. An essential oil is obtained 
from the leaves by distillation. From Mr. Proctor's examina- 
tion, (Am. Joui'nal Pharm. viii, 211; and ix, 241,) it is shown to 
possess acid properties, and to have the same composition as the 
salicilate of methylene. It is one of the heaviest of the essential 
oils, having a specific gravity 1.173, with a burning, aromatic 
taste, mixing with alcohol or ether in all proportions. This is 
found also in the Betula lenta, some of the Spirceas, in the Poly- 
gala lutea, etc. It is applied with good eff'ect to diminish the 
sensibility of nerves affected by carious teeth, and to disguise 
the taste and smell of nauseous medicines. 



419 

MOUNTAIN" LAUREL ; WILD ROSEBAY, {Rhododendron 
maximum, L.) Grows among the mountains. Fl. July. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 221. " It is well known to be possessed 
of poisonous properties." Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 75 
Employed with success in chronic rheumatism, gout, and glan- 
dular enlargements. The petioles act as a sternutatory. Coxe, 
Am. Disp. 526 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 103. It is a resinous as- 
tringent, the leaves containing tannin ; but its supposed poisonous , 
narcotic power is doubted by some, as Bigelow swallowed an 
entire leaf, and no bad effects resulted. B. S. Barton, however, 
in his Collections, i, 18, says it is certainly poisonous. The brown 
powder attached to the foot-stalks possesses considerable power 
as an errhine. The purple variet}'^, one of the most beautiful, 
grows in South Cai'olina. 

A writer under the signature of "Cunio," communicates the 
following to the " Atlanta Commonwealth," 1861 : 

" Wood for Engraving. — Upon the authority of Mr. Charles 
Foster, long known as a wood engraver at Nashville, Tennessee, 
many years since, I can state that the wood of the R. maximum, 
or mountain laurel, as well as its confrere, Kalmia latifolia, 
known by every farmer as poison ivy, are equalled only by the 
best boxwood, the former of which abounds on every mountain 
from Mason and Dixon's line to North Georgia that has a rocky 
branch." I had reported the K. latifolia in my Sketch of the 
Medical Botany of South Carolina, as "possessing a wood much 
used for mechanical purposes, being hard and dense." See Ame- 
lanchier for substitutes for boxwood, which is costly. 

Rhododendron punctatum, L. and Ph. Grows at the head 
branches of rivers in South Carolina and Georgia; "Tugoloo 
branches of the Savannah." Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 75 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 
428. A stimulant and astringent. Michaux says it furnishes 
to bees a deleterious honey. 

CALICO BUSH ; IVY BUSH, {Kalmia latifolia, L.) Grows 
along rivers in upper districts; S. and N. C. ; Richland, Gibbes; 
at Sister's Ferry; Savannah River; Aiken, S. C. Fl. July, 

Drayton's View of South Carolina, 69 ; Ell. Bot. i, 481 ; U. 
S. Disp. 1269 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 133 ; Kalm's Travels, i, 
335; Barton's Coll. i, 18, 48; and ii, 26; Tbacher's Disp. 247; 
Thomas' Inaug. Diss., Raf. ii, 16; Griffith, Med. Bot. 528. The 



420 

leaves are poisonous and narcotic, and animals have been poi- 
soned by eating them. It is said that death has been occasioned 
by eating the t!esh of partridges and pheasants that had fed on 
them. Dr. Shoemaker publishes two cases, (see N. Am. Med. 
and Surg. Journal, see U. S. Disp.,) which resulted from eating 
a pheasant, in the craw of which laurel leaves were found. The 
symptoms are nausea, temporary blindness, pain in the head, 
dyspnoea, cold extremities and a very feeble pulse, which in one 
case was for some time absent at the wrist; in the other, beat 
only forty strokes in the minute. In both cases relief was 
atforded by vomiting produced by a tablespoonful of flour of 
mustard mixed with warm water. A case of similar poisoning 
is related in the Edinburgh Med. J., May, 1856, in which epi- 
gastric tension and uneasiness, glowing heat of the bead, loss 
of sight, coldness of the extremities, general prostration and 
twitchings of the muscles were the prominent sj'mptoms, fol- 
lowed by nausea and full vomiting, which afforded some relief 
But feelings of formication and weakness of the limbs, with 
great prostration of the circulation, remained for several hours 
requiring the use of stimulants. See U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 
' Thomas, in Inaug. Diss. Phil. 1802, reports cases of obstinate 
diarrha?a cured by a decoction, thirt}' drops being taken four 
times a da}". The leaves have been advantageously used in 
syphilis, and extensively api)lied in tinea, psora and cutaneous 
affections. Dr. Barton states that nervous symptoms have re- 
sulted from the external use of the sti'ong decoction, thirty 
drops taken internally six times a day producing vertigo. Dr. 
Bigelow detected in the leaves taimin, a resinous matter and 
gum. Besides these, Dr. Stabler finds a volatile oil of a nar- 
cotic odor and nauseous smell, supposed to be the active princi- 
ple: see Am. Journal of Pharm. x, 241 ; Griffith, Med. Bot. 428. 
From these experiments of Dr. S. he determines it to be a direct 
arterial sedative, without any acrid or narcotic property' ; hence 
he supposes it suitable to cases of hypertrophy of heart and 
other diseases, Avhen it is necessary to decrease the action of 
that organ ; and from the tannin present that it is peculiarly 
fitted for cases of hemorrhage, dysentery, etc. He proposes 
that two ounces of the leaves be macerated in a pint of alcohol 
for a week and then strained, the dose of which for an adult 
is thirty drops ever}^ two or three hours. If these observations 



421 

are confirmed it will give tho plant a high reputation as a scda 
tive, and attention is invited to it. The wood is much used for 
mechanical purposes, l>ein<^ hard and dense. 

Kalmia hirsuta, Walt. Grows in wet pine barrens; vicinity 
of Charleston. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 48.^. The leaves are used by negroes, 
and the poor white people, as a cure for itch, and lor the mange 
in dogs. A strong decoction is applied warm to the eruptions, 
which occasions much smarting; and it seldom requires more 
than one application to effect a cure. 

iSHKJ^jP LAUllEL, (Kalmia arif/ustifolia, L.) Barren hills; 
upper districts N. and S. C. Chapman. 

The leaves of the Kalmia (jangustifolia?) exude a sweet, honey- 
like juice, which is said when swallowed to bring on a mental 
intoxication both formidable in its symptoms and long in its 
dur^ion, (Torrey.) In this it appears closely to resemble the 
Armeyiian azalea, (Johnston's Chemistry of Common Life, vol. ii, 
p. 157.) About Long Island the K. angustifolia is believed to 
kill sheep, and is known by the name of sheep poison. Tho 
Azalea pojitica, a kindred shrub, is said to be the source of the 
narcotic quality for which the Trebizond honey is famous. 

VACCINACEyE. (The Bilberry Tribe.) 

Bark and leaves are astringent, slightly tonic and stimulating 
AMERICAN CRANBERRY, (Vaccinium macrocarpon, Ait. 
Oxycoccos.) Grows in swamps of North Carolina and north- 
ward. 

The cranberry, useful for their ascesccnt, cooling properties, 
for making pies, etc., are now exported to Europe, and they are 
said to bring eight dollars a bushel in the London market, as 
they are easily transported without suffering from the voyage. 
They are cultivated on boggy or swampy land, sand being 
thrown over it to kill the grass. There is a communication in 
the Patent Office Reports, 1857, on the mode of cultivation of 
the plant. Cranberries may be preserved perfect for several 
years merely by drying them a little in the sun, and then put- 
ting them up closely in clean bottles. Thej' also keep well in 
fresh water. The red-fruited variety yields a juice which has 
been employed to stain paper or linen purple. 



422 

FAECLB-BEERY; SPAEKLBBEERY, {Vaccinnm arhoreum, 
Marsh.) Grows in damp soils; diffused; collected in St. John's; 
vicinity of Charleston ; N. C. Fl. May. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 496 ; Griffith Med. Bot. 431. The bark 
of the root is very stringent, and is einploj^ed in diarrhoea and 
bowel complaints. The leaves also are astringent, and a decoc- 
tion, as tea, is given in diarrhoea and dysentery, and as a wash 
in sore mouth ; the fruit is more palatable and equally as effica- 
cious. The bark is also used for tanning. The root and bark 
are very much used as an astringent in Sumter District, S. C, 
given in the form of tea to children affected with diarrhoea from 
teething, simplj^ because it contains tannin, I suppose, like the 
chinquapin, oak bark, etc. It is very much relied upon. The 
root is sometimes stewed in milk and given the same way. 
Most of the species possess qualities similar to this one. Some 
of those at the South bear fruit which are very pleasant to the 
taste, and commonly known as huckleberries. I regard the 
wood as uncommonly hard and close. 

A cordial is made from " Whirtleberries," says a writer, 1863; 
" to one quart of berries add half a pint of water, boil until 
tender and strain. To one quart of juice add half a pint of 
brandy. It must be well sweetened with loaf sugar." 

PEIMULACEiE. {The Primrose Tribe.) 

More remarkable for beautj' and fragra^ce than for their sen- 
sible properties. 

EBD CIIICKWBBD ; SCAELET PIMPEENEL, iAnagallis 
arvcnsis, L.) Nat. on Sullivan's Island. Collected in St. John's ; 
N. C. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 1227 ; Le. Mat. Med. i, 80 ; Mer. and de L. Diet. 
dc M. Med. i, 276 ; Orfila, Toxicologic, ii, 275; Woodv. Med. 
Bot. Mem. Acad. Eoyal de Med. 18 Mars. ann. 1226. The flow- 
ers close at the approach of rain, and occasions the plant to be 
called the "poor-man's weather-glass." Eural Cyc. 

This plant enjoyed great reputation at one time, and was said 
to possess sudorific, vulnerary, anti-epilectic and anti-hydro- 
phobic virtues. Woodvillc states that it is acrid and poisonous. 
It was considered very valuable for the bite of serpents, but 
more particularly in hydrophobia, given in the form of powder 



423 

in doses of two drachms. See the reports to the Econ, Soc, 
Berne; Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, 124. Milne, in his Ind. Bot. 260, 
asserts that it was frequently successful even after dangerous 
symptoms had supervened ; and the great Hoffman yielded 
to this opinion. It "really possesses highly energetic powers, 
for Orfila destroyed a dog by making him drink three drachms 
of the extract." Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 224. It is used as a local 
application in ill-conditioned ulcei's, and internally in visceral 
obstructions, dropsy, epilepsy and mania. Mr. J, A. Heinzelman 
obtained a small quantity of volatile oil from the dried herb, 
four drops of which produced intense headache and nausea, 
which continued for twenty-four hours with pains throughout 
the body. U. S. Disp., 12Lh Ed. 

BROOKWEED, {Samolus valerandi, L.) Vicinity of Charles- 
ton; grows in morasses; collected in St. John's, Charleston Dis- 
trict.' Fl. June. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 201 ; Journal Gen. de Med. 
Hi, 413; Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, 121. Lemery says it is an anti- 
scorbutic, aperient and vulnerary. 

SAPOTACEiE. (The Sapotilla Tribe.) 

lEONWOOD, {Bumelia lycioides, Ell, Sk.) Vicinity of Charles- 
ton; very rare in St. John's Berkeley; N. C. Fl. June. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 441. The bark is said to be austere, 
and to be useful in bowel complaints. The tree is classed by 
some, with the persimmon, under the " ebony tribe" — the wood 
being characterized bj' great density and hardness. 

Mimusops Sieberi, A. Dc. S. Fla. Chap. 

This tree or shrub should be examined. The East Indian 
species yield a gum from the bark and an oil from the seeds, 
the latter used in painting and in facilitating parturition. 

EBENACEJE. (The Ebony Tribe.) 

Wood generally hard and black. 

PERSIMMON, {Diospyros Virginiana.) Diffused ; grows abun- 
dantly in both upper and lower districts. Fl. March. 

Coxe, Am. Disp. 259; U. S. Disp. 302; Ed. and Vav. Mat. 
Med. 135 ; Am. Journal Med. Sc, N. S. iv, 297 ; Mer. and de L. 
Diet, de M. Med. ii, 657 ; Ann. Chim. de Montp. xxiv, 247 ; Shec. 
Flora Carol. 510; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 227; Griffith Med. Bot. 



424 

436. An astringent and styptic. The inner bark is used in in- 
termittent fever, in diarrhoea, and with alum as a gargle in ul- 
cerated sore throat. The powdered bark can be used wherever 
an astringent is required. The unripe fruit is exceedingly as- 
tringent; employed while fresh, or dried in the sun and pow- 
dered, it is very valuable in diarrhoea, chronic dysentery and 
uterine hemorrhage. It forms a convenient and useful prescrip- 
tion for those residing in the country, made into pills or in the 
shape of a spirituous tincture. Mr. B. Smith found that the 
green fruit contained tannin, sugar, malic acid, and woody fibre ; 
the first disappears and the others increase as it rij^ens. (Am. 
Journal Pharm. xii, 157.) The juice, in the unripe state, is said 
to be preferable to oak bark for tanning; and a black dye may 
be extracted from it. The fruit, when matured, is very sweet 
and pleasant to the taste and yields on distillation after fermen- 
tation a quantity of spirits; a beer is made of it, and mixed with 
flour, a pleasant bread. I have used the wood for engraving. 
Every tree of slow growth seems to me have a dense and hard 
wood, because the rings are close together, though the consis 
tence of the interspaces varies in difl:erent plants. See ''Amc- 
lanchier" Persimmon bark with iron 3'ield8 a dye, the color 
depending on thg mordant used. See " JRhus;" also Treatises on 
Calico printing and on Dyeing, Ure's Diet, of Arts and Manu- 
factures and Wilson's Eural Cyc. Processes are there described. 
Upon testing for tannin the leaves of the persimmon I find very 
little, but a great deal in the unripe fruit. See detail of experi- 
ments under swce(-gura, ^^ Liquiclambar." The tannic acid in 
the unripe fruit has been ascertained by Mr. J. E. Bryan, (Am. 
J. Ph. xxxii, 215,) not to be of the kind existing in galls and oak 
bark. The fact that tannin is a glucoside, observes Dr. Wood, 
may throw some light on the rapid and complete change which 
the fruit undergoes from astringency to sweetness during ma- 
turation. U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. Dr. Mettaner used the infus. 
syrup and vinous tincture of the bruised unripe fruit in diarr- 
hoea, chronic dysentery and uterine hemorrhage. U. S. Disp. 
A variety of persimmons are occasionally met with in Sumter 
District, S. C, with fruit almost twice the ordinary size. They 
were found near Claremont and the river. I have known of a 
large fruited variety from Cooper Eiver also. Ale can be made 
with the different species of gentian also, and in England they 



425 

UPC G. lidea and purpurea as substitutes for hops. The persim- 
mon should be used in eamps as an astrinj^ent. See " Cas- 
tanea." 

To Make Persimmon Beer. — Gather the persimmons perfectly 
ripe and free from any roughness. Work them into large loaves 
with bran enough to make them consistent ; bake them so 
thoroughly that tlie cake may be brown and dry throughout, 
but not burned. Thc}^ are then fit for use. But if you keep 
them any time it will be necessary to dry them frequently in an 
oven moderately warm. Of these loaves broken into a coarse 
powder, take eight bushels. Pour on them forty gallons of cold 
water, and after two or three days draw it off; boil it as other 
beer, adding a little hops. This makes a very strong beer. 8ee 
Thornton's Southern Gardener, p. 138. W. Gilmore Simms, 
Esq., writes me word that the pei-simmon beer manufactured in 
(Jran^eburg JJistrict, S. C, by the lion. J. il. Feldei-, equalled 
the best sparkling "Jersey Champagne." The latter is gene- 
rally made of apples, and is a species of carbfjnated cider. See 
" ApplciS," "H<'ps," "Sassafras," for method of manufacturing 
useful liquors. 

The following is from the Southern Cultivator and was pub- 
lished during the war: 

Persimmon Beer. — The best persimmons ripen soft and sweet, 
having a clear, thin, transparent skin, Avithout any rongh taste. 
Most animals fatten on them ; the chicken, duck, turkey, goose, 
dog, hog, sheep and cow all eat them greedily. The fruit, when 
mashed and strained through a coarse wire sieve, makes de- 
lightful bread, pies and pudding. When kneaded with wheat 
bran, and well baked in an oven, the bread may be put away 
for winter use in making beer, and used when wanted. 

The following is one of the \QTy best receipts for making the 
beer: Sweet ripe persimmons, mashed and strained, one bushel ; 
wheat bran, one half bushel. Mix well together and bake in 
loaves of convenient size ; break them in a clean barrel, and add 
twelve gallons of water and two or three ounces of hops. Keep 
the barrel in a warm room. As soon as fermentation subsides, 
bottle off the beer, having good long corks, and place the bottles 
in a low temperature, and it will keep and improve for twelve 
months. This Ijeer, when properly made, in a warm room,isan 
exquisitely delightful beverage, containing no alcohol, and is to 



426 

the connoisseur of temperate taste not inferior to the fermented 
juice of the vine. 

The ordinary way of making it is more simple, and the drink 
is relished heartily by most persons : a layer of straw is put in 
the bottom of the cask, on which a sufficient quantity of fruit, 
well mashed, is laid, and the cask then filled with water. It 
should stand in a warm room, and if the weather is cold, fer- 
mentation will be promoted by occasionally putting a warm 
brick or stone in the barrel. The addition of a few honey lo- 
custs, roasted sweet potatoes, or apple peelings, will make the 
beer more brisk. Wheat bran always improves the quality. 

A syrup made with unripe persimmons boiled in sugar is rec- 
ommended as a portable and useful astringent to be used by 
soldiers in camp to prevent dysenteries and diarrhoeas. I ap- 
pend the following which appeared during the war in the jour- 
nals of the daj' : 

" We find in an old magazine an account of an experiment in 
distilling brandy from persimmons, which may be interesting. 
The writer prepared the persimmons in the same way as peaches 
are usually prepared for the still, and the result of the experi- 
ment was an average of one gallon of proof spirits, of an agree- 
able flavor, for each bushel of the persimmons." 

Palatable syrup is made of the persimmon. The persimmons 
ai'e mixed with wheat bran, baked in pones, next crushed and 
put in vessels, water poured on, and all allowed to stand twelve 
hours. Strain and boil to the consistency of molasses. 

A writer saj^s : " I have been using persimmon syrup for ten 
years past, for dysentery, and am persuaded that it has no equal 
as a remedy for that troublesome disease. It is a simple, harm- 
less and effective astringent. It is made of persimmons before 
they are quite ripe. They should be mashed up, put into boiling 
water, and then strained through a coarse cloth. This rough 
juice may be preserved in sugar or syrup. If soldiers in camp 
would adopt this remedy, many long cases of chronic dysentery 
might be prevented." 

The ripe fruit of the persimmon, May-apples, figs, etc., are 
also useful with a basis of molasses or honey in making vinegar. 

A good vinegar, very much like, and equal to, white wine 
vinegar, is made as follows: 

Three bushels of ripe persimmons, three gallons of whiskey, 



427 

and twent}^ -seven gallons of water. To those who cau get the 
persimmons, the vinegar thus produced will be relatively cheap, 
even at any price which the most elastic conscience can ask for 
the spirits. 

Indelible Ink. — Green persimmons, say twelve of them, mash 
them, pour on water enough to cover them. Boil over a slow 
fire but not too much, add in a small piece of copperas. This 
ink will not change color and cannot be washed or rubbed out. 
The bloom of the persimmon and chinquapin is said to be de- 
structive to hogs. 

SWEET-LEAF, (Hopea tinctoria, L.) Diffused ; grows spar- 
ingly in the low countr}' ; vicinity of Charleston, collected in vSt. 
John's Berkeley; Ward swamp; New^bern. Fl. May. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 437. The root is esteemed a valuable sto- 
machic. Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, ii, 177. Its leaves afford a yel- 
low dye ; they are sweet and pleasant to the taste, and are 
eaten by cattle. Major J. Le Conte informs me that the leaves 
and root are much used in Georgia, in syphilitic and scrofulous 
affections. 

Mills, in his Statistics of South Carolina, states that Captain 
Felder, of Orangeburg, S. C, procured a paste from this plant, 
and those of the yellow Indigo, "a species of Cassia," for which 
heobtained one guinea per pound during the Revolutionary war 
Dr. Edward Jenkins informs me that he has used a decoction of 
the root in diseases of the kidney, with advantage. It appears to 
possess a narcotic property, and is serviceable in painful and ir- 
ritable conditions, where the renal organs are involved. 

This does not seem to be the genus Hopea belonging to the 
order Dipteracece, which furnishes such valuable resins. 

STYRACACB^. {Styrax Tribe.) 

Styrax. Several species grow in the Southern States, but 
none are medicinal, so far as I can ascertain. It is well known 
that storax and benzoin are furnished by some of them. 

Symplocos tinctoria, L'Her. Low woods and banks of streams. 
Florida to North Carolina and westward. (Chap.) 

The dyer's or laurel-leaved species, under the name of yellow 
wood or sweet-leaf, is used for yielding a yellow dj^e. Eural 
Cyc. See "Hopea." 



428 
AQUIFOLIACB.E. {The Holly Tribe.) 

These are generally astringent. 

BLACK ALDER; WINTER-BEERY, (llexverticillata, Gray. 
Frinos veiiicillatus, L.) Damp soils. Fl. May. 

U. S. Disp. 874; Wild Spec. Plantarum, 275; Mer. and de L. 
Diet, de M. Med. v, 15 ; Barton's Med. Bot. i, 203. The berries 
and bark are tonic and astringent, and are used in intermittent 
fevers, diarrhoeas, and diseases connected with a debilitated 
state of the system, especially gangrene and mortification. It 
is a popular remedy in ill-conditioned ulcers, chronic cutaneous 
diseases, administered internally and locally as a wash. Lind. 
Nat. Syst. Bot. 229. " The bark and berries possess in an emi- 
nent degree the properties of the vegetable astringents and 
tonics, combined with anti-septic powers highly spoken of." 
They are extensively pi-escribed in some parts of the country 
in diarrhoea, and as a corroborant in dropsy. The leaves are 
(,'mi)loyed as a substitute for tea. The plant was used by the 
Indians. It may betaken in substance, in doses of thirty grains 
to a drachm, to be repeated, or a decoction made with two 
ounces of the bark to three pints of water, of which three 
ounces may be taken several times a day. A saturated tincture 
of the bark and berries has also been used. Bigelow did not 
speak highly of this plant, but W. P. C. Barton extols it and 
recommends it to the profession, having employed it on several 
occasions. Dr. Meara, in the Phil. Med. Museum ; Griffith 
Med. Bot. 434; Coxe's Am. Disp. 500. 

INKBERRY, {Ilex glaber, Gray. Prims glaber, L.) Grows 
in damp soils, along bays; Richland District; collected in St. 
John's. PI. May. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 229; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
vi, 53. The leaves are employed as a tea. The plant probably 
possesses properties similar to those of the other. Upon chemi- 
cal examination I find very little tannin in the leaves. See 
sweet-gum {Liquidambar) for detail of experiments. I am in- 
formed that the " Ilex, or Prinos glaber,'^ was much used in 
Wilmington, N. C, during the war in cases of intermittent fever. 

HOLLY, {Ilex opaca, L.) Diffused ; in rich soils ; Newbern. 
Fl. May. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 432; U. S. Disp. 1263. I am informed by 



420 

gentlemen who have used this plant that the decoction of the 
bark of the root has been found very serviceable as a demulcent 
in colds, coughs and incipient phthisis; and by Dr. Joseph 
Johnson, of Charleston, that the bei'ries are serviceable as an 
emetic. The bark of the holly root chewed is a most excellent 
demulcent and tonic for chronic colds and coughs, as I have 
frequently experienced in my own case and in that of a number 
of my friends who rely upon it greatly in these cases. It has a 
pleasant bitter taste, improves the appetite and promotes expec- 
toration. It is asserted by some to possess properties full}^ 
equal to those of the I. aquifolium of Europe, the inner bark of 
which also yields a viscid substance called birdlime; its leaves 
are esteemed as a diaphoretic in the foi'm of infusion ; employed 
in catarrh, pleurisy, small-pox, etc. Its febrifuge virtues are 
supposed to depend on a bitter principle, itUcin, and the berries 
are considered purgative, diuretic and emetic. The good effects 
resulting from the use of this plant in diseases affecting the 
mucous passages, may be owing to the substances contained in 
the inner bark. Some declare that they find it fully as efficient 
in intermittent fevers as the Peruvian bark. As an emetic, the 
berries are said to be more active than the leaves. Dr. Tully 
says, Mat. Med, p. 1368, that he has been informed that it has a 
high popular reputation in South Carolina as an ecbolic, it being 
considered capable of producing an abortion or miscarriage at 
any stage of pregnancy. A strong infusion or decoction of the 
leaves is employed, and this is drank freely. 

Birdlime can be made from holly and misletoe ; also from elder. 
The bai'k and juice are used. See process described in Ure's 
Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures, article '' Birdlime." The 
leaves of this plant, like I. dahoon and I. cassina are used as 
substitutes for green tea. See Ilex cassina. 

I condense the following from Wilson's Rural Cyc. : 
" Birdlime for catching birds, mice and other vermin, is gen- 
erall}^ made from the middle bark of the holly, which is boiled 
in water seven or eight hours, till it becomes soft and tender. 
After the water has been strained off it is laid in masses in the 
earth, covered with stones, and left to ferment during a fort- 
night or three weeks. When thus changed into a kind of mu- 
cilage it is taken from the pit, pounded in mortars until reduced 
to a paste, washed and kneaded in river water until freed .from 



430 

all extraneous matter. It is left in earthen vessels four or five 
da,ys to purify itself by fermentation, and it is then put up for 
use or commerce. In every kingdom or district there is a 
diflPerent mode of preparing this substance. The mode em- 
ployed by M. Bouillon Lagrange is to take a sufficient quantity 
of the second bark of the green prickly holly, to bruise it well, 
and boil it in water four or five hours ; to pour off the water, 
to deposit the bark in pits in earthen pans, to moisten it from 
time to time with a little water, to let it remain until it becomes 
viscous, and to cleanse it by washing when it has attained a 
proper degree of fermentation." 

Birdlime may be procured from the young shoots of the com- 
mon elder tree, from a number of plants, from slugs, snails, and 
from the pods of certain caterpillars. The common kind of 
birdlime readily loses its tenacious quality when long exposed 
to the air, and particularly when subjected to moisture; but it 
may be rendered capable of sustaining the action of water by 
the following process: take a pound of common birdlime and 
wash it thoroughly with spring water till its hardness be de- 
stroyed ; then pound it completely that its water may be entirely 
separated, and when it is well dried put it into an earthen pot 
wiih as much goose or capon's grease as will make it run. Add 
two spoonsful of strong vinegar, one of oil, and a small quan- 
tity of Venice turpentine, and let the whole boil for a few mo- 
ments over a moderate fire, stirring it all the time. It is then 
ready for use ; and this is the only kind that can be successfully 
used for snipes and other birds which frequent wet situations. 
When birdlime is to be applied for use it should be made hot, 
and the rods or twigs should be warmed a little before they are 
dipped in it. When straws or cords are to be limed it should 
be very hot, and after they are prepared they should be kept in 
a leather bag till used. In order to prevent birdlime from being 
congealed by cold it should be mixed with a little oil of petro- 
leum ; and, indeed, before the common kind can be used at all 
it must be melted over the fire with a third part of nut-oil or 
any thin grease, if that has not been added in the preparation. 
It has been found to resemble gluten in many particulars, but 
difters from it essentially in the acetous acid which it contains ; 
in being very slightly animalized; in the mucilage and extract- 
ive matter which may be obtained from it ; in the great quantity 



431 

of resin which it yields by means of nitric acrid, and in its 
solubility in ether. See, also, Wilson's article on " Bird-catch- 
ing" for the various methods of ensnjiring game. See " Viscus" 
in this volume. 

Oiir Ilex opaca is said to resemble closely the English holly, 
(7. aquifolium.') It has a hard, white wood, with a fine grain. 
Among many trees and plants which I have examined, with a 
view to testing their relative hardness, I do not rank the holly 
80 high as others. The English holly is said by Wilson to be 
very retentive of its sap, which renders it very liable to warp 
unless well dried ; to be susceptible of a high degree of polish, 
which renders it well adapted to many purposes in the arts. It 
readily takes a durable color of any shade, hence used by cabi- 
net-makers, in forming what are technically called "strings and 
borders" in ornamental works. When properly stained black, 
its, color and lustre are little inferior to ebony. It may be 
turned to a great number of purposes by turners, engineers, 
cabinet-makers, philosophical instrument-makers and others. 
Next to boxwood, the pear tree is the best wood, says Wilson, 
for engraving upon, as it is compact and stands the tool well, 
Eural Cyc. I do not think that I found our I. opaca equal to 
the dogwood for the purposes of the engraver ; certainly when 
green it yielded to the graver's tools more readily and was not 
80 hard. 

The berries of the English holly are said to be purgative, and 
six or eight of them swallowed will produce violent vomiting ; 
the bark is said to be febrifugal. Op. cit. 

YAUPON; CASSINA; EMETIC-HOLLY, (Ilex cassine, Jj. 
Ilex vomitoria, L. and Ait.) Grows near the seacoast ; Newbern. 
Fl. March. 

Merand de L. Diet. deM. Med. iii, 591 ; see I. vomitoria. Linn. 
Veg. Mat. Med.; U. S. Disp. 1263, App.; Griffith Med. Bot.; Ell. 
Sk. of Bot. of South Carolina, ii, 682. The leaves act as a pow- 
erful diuretic, and are employed in calculous, nephritic diseases, 
diabetes, gout and small-pox. This plant is said also to act as a 
mild emetic. (Mer. and de L.) The Indians used the cold infu- 
sion, which was called the black drink, and which was said to 
enliven them, in the place of opium. The Creeks employed it, 
according to Elliott, at the opening of their councils, sending to 
the seacoast for a supply. They considered it one of their most 



432 

powerful (iini-oties. (Bart. Coll. 38.) The iuluibitants of North 
Carolina purifj' brackish water by boiling in it Cassina leaves. 

In North and South Carolina much use is made of the leaves 
of cassina for making tea. I would refer the i-eader to the Cean- 
othus Americana, New Jersey tea tree. The leaves of the com- 
mon holly {Ilex opaca) are also recommended by some as a 
substitute for tea; and I would call attention to the ftict that the 
famous plant used so extensively in Paraguay, Mate or Paraguay 
tea, is an Ilex (J. Paraguaiensis) plants of which have been in- 
troduced by Lieut. Page, and distributed. See a notice of it in 
Patent Office Reports, 1854, p. 34, and 1859, p. 15. Mate is uni- 
vcrsall}' drunk in many of the South American States, and 
almost fabulous properties are attributed to it. "It is unques- 
tionably aperient and diuretic, and produces effects very similar 
to 0]>ium. * * * Like that drug, however, it excites the 
torpid and languid, while it calms the restless and induces 
sleep." I have little doubt but that great resemblance does exist 
between this and the kindred plant, the cassina, from which 
also was prepared a "black drink," which was used by the In- 
dians of North America in their ceremonials. The mode of 
preparation maj" be lost to us. 

In a letter from Mr. Simms, Apiil, 1863, he saj'S: "I think 
there is some mistake among the authorities you quote when 
they assert this to be the material out of which the Indians 
manufacture the famous " Black Drink" used at their most 
solemn festivals, and which I have always understood, while 
travelling among them forty years ago, to be compounded of va- 
rious roots, by decoction, and acting as a powerful emetic. The 
leaves used moderately as we use tea, have never as I believe 
acted thus upon the s^-stem." 

The Yaupon is sometimes referred to as I. vomitoria. The 
Indians drank it very strong, and in copious draughts, at a cer- 
tain period of the year, in order to purify themselves. It acted 
as an emetic. The Mate of Paraguay is not identical, says a re- 
cent writer, with our /. cassina. Lawson, in his account of this 
plant, in his Travels in Carolina, (pp. 90, 91, London, 1709,) cele- 
brates the virtues of the tea, and gives a particular account of 
the mode of preparing it. " This plant, (the Yaupon, called by 
the South Carolina Indians Cassina,) is the Indian tea, used and 
approved by all the savages on the coast of Carolina, and fi-om 



/ 



433 

them sent to the westward Indians, and sold at a considerable 
piice." "The savages of Carolina bore this tea in veneration 
ahove all the plants they are acquainted withal," p. 221. "As 
for parsings and emetics they never apply themselves to, unless 
in drinking vast quantities of their Yaupon or tea, and vomiting 
it up again, as clear as they drink it." Croom, in quoting the 
above, adds that in North Carolina it is still esteemed a useful 
diaphoretic. Notes to his Catalogue, p. 45. referred to as I. cas- 
sina, of Walter. 

The preparation of Mate is very simple. It can be gathered 
during the whole year It is collected in the woods — "a process 
of kiln-drying is resorted to upon the spot, and afterward the 
branches and leaves are transported to some rude mill and 
powdered in mortars. The substance, after this operation, is 
almost a powder, though small stems, denuded of their bark, are 
alw»ys permitted to remain." A small quantity of the leaf, either 
with or without sugar, is placed in a common bowl, upon which 
cold water is poured ; after standing a short time, boiling water 
is added, and it is at once ready for use. It must be imbibed 
through a tube on account of the particles of leaf and stem 
which float upon the surface of the liquid. The plant is not cul- 
tivated. See, also, Ceanothus and Thea viridis. 

Ilex dahoon, Walt. Also called cassina. G-rows in swamps ; 
it is said to possess properties similar to those of the /. cassina. 

Ilex myrtifolia, Walt. This is a variety of J. dahoon. G-rows 
around ponds, in flat, pine barrens, forty miles from Charleston ; 
Newbern. 

Dr. Joseph Johnson, of Charleston, informs me that this is 
used to some extent in domestic practice in South Carolina, as a 
diuretic in drops3\ 

CUSCUTACE^. 

LOVE-VINE, (Cuscuta Americana, Linn.) Dr. Engleman, of 
St. Louis, has determined that we have not the C. Atn. of Linn., 
and he has substituted three distinct species which are found 
in South Carolina, the C. compacta and cornuti of Choisey, and 
C. vulgivaga, Engl. Grows in damp soils ; collected in St. John's; 
Newbern. Fl. June. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 527; Flora Med. des 
Antilles, ii, 334 ; Shec. Flora Carol. 485. 
28 



434 

Tl)is is said to be Irtxativc and hydragoguo. It imparts a 
3'ollow dj-e to cloth. Tlio vino may bo snapped in pieces, and 
the divisions will retain a sejvirato existence, throwing ont new 
tendrils, and reattaching themselves to surrounding objects. 

CONVOLVULACE/E. {The Bindioeed TiHhe.') 

An acrid, milky juice is found in their roots, which is strongly 
purgative, this quality depending upon a peculiar resin, which 
is the active principle of the jalap, the scammony, etc., plants 
belonging to this order. 

Pharbitis nil, Ghois. Ipoimva nil, Pursh. Convohmlus, Spron- 
gel. Grows in drj'- soils; vicinity of Charleston ; St. John's; 
Newborn. Fl. July. 

Mer. and do L. Diet, do M. Med. iv, 409. The root was em- 
ployed by the ancients as a purgative. 

WILD POTATO A^INE, {Convolvulus, Ell. Sk. Ijnwuva pan- 
duratas, of late bot.) Found in dry pine barrens ; collected in 
St. John's, Charleston District, where it grows abundantly ; 
Newborn. 

Coxe, Am. Dis. 226 ; liarton's Colloc. ii, 49 ; Ell. Bot. Med. 
Notes, i, 254; U. S. Disp. 269; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
ii, 409; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. i, 252; Griffith's Med. Bot. 477. 
The root is diuretic, and in the form of infusion is said to bo 
very serviceable in calculous complaints. It is employed with 
great success by Dr. Harris, of New Jersey, in these and in 
other affections as a substitute for jalap and rhubarb; Dr. B. S. 
Barton says that an extract from one of our native species is 
little inferior to scammony. The powder of the decoction may 
bo used. 

Convolrulus macrorrhi::us, FA\. Ipomiva of Wxchanx. Vicinity 
of Charleston ; dry soils. 

U. S. Disp. 408; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 253; Mer. and de 
L. Diet do M. Mod. ii, 406; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 140. 
This is thought to resemble jalap. De Candolle mentions the 
root as possessing purgative properties, (Essai;) and the ex- 
pressed juice was said to be very active. Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 
231 ; Flore Mod. des Antillus, ii, 288. Dr. Baldwin, however, 
was of the opinion that it possessed very little purgative power. 
[ It is said to contain a great deal of saccharine with a consid- 
I crable quantity of farinaceous matter. 



435 

TpomfBa sinnata, Ort. Convolvulus dissedus, Mx, The C. dis- 
aectuH abounds in prussic acid, and is said to be used in the 
manufacture of Noyau. Bot. Mag. 3141 j Griffith. 

JALAP, {Convolvulus Jalap.) 

It has been supposed by some that the officinal jalap may be 
oVjtained from plants growing within the limits of the Southern 
States, but late researches have almost disproved it. See U. S, 
JJisp.; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 

SWEET POTATO, {Batatas edulic, Chois. Convolvulus bat- 
atas, Cult.) Several varieties are cultivated. 

This valuable plant is cultivated to a large extent in the 
Southern States, and great use is made of the root as an article 
of food. It may, therefore, not be out of place to furnish some 
references to the various sources of information concerning it 
that have come in my way. A large quantity of sago, called 
"Bowen's patent sago," was made in Georgia from the potato, 
particularly by L)r. Bancroft, near Savannah. The roots were 
scraped and grated, the pulp was then mashed through sieves, 
and the deposited flour collected and dried in pans either by 
fire or sunlight. See Shec. Flora Carol. The root is used as an 
article of food prepared in various forms. They may be grated 
when raw and the pulp made into a pudding ; they are some- 
times eaten roasted or boiled, in which state, with wheat flour, 
a very pleasant bread is made of them. On the plantations 
they furnish a large proportion of the food of animals. Mer. and 
de L. Diet, de Med. Supplem. 1846, 205. See Depuy'g Memoire 
sur la culture de la patate, Bordeaux, 1801 ; Lelieur de Ville- 
sur Arce, Mem. sur la culture de la patate et du mais, Paris ; 
Gosse, Culture de la patate, (Biblioth. Univ. de Geneve, iii, 
1818 ;) Roberts' Xote on the culture of the potato in the Mem. 
de la Soc. Roy. d'Agric. 1841 ; Southern Agriculturist, Charles- 
ton, passim. 

In Patent Office Reports, 1854, p. 169, is an illustrated paper 
on the Chinese yam, Dioscorea batatas, recommended as a substi- 
tute for the potato. See Dioscorea villosa in this volume. 

The Cantharis vittata, or blistering fly, can be found on the 
potato, and I have produced blistering by applying them to the 
hand. I collected the flies from vines growing on Daniel's 
Island, near Charleston. Mr. Townsend Glover, in a valuable 
paper illustrated with wood-cuts in Patent Office Reports, 1854, 



436 

page 59, states that he found a species of oantharis, C. strigosa, 
in large numbers on the cotton plants near Columbia, S. C, in 
the month of September. I have little doubt that the Southern 
States could be easily supplied with blistering ointment from 
these flies. 

The reader interested in the appearance, nature and historj' 
of the " Insects injurious and beneficial " to plants and vegeta- 
bles, is referred to the paper cited. Those infesting the cotton 
plant, the peach, the vine, garden vegetables, etc., are all de- 
scribed. I am indebted to Mr. Glover for drawings of these. 
See, also, Patent Office Eeports, p. 88, 1855, in which the papers 
are continued. 

A Substitute for Spanish Flies. — The scarcity of Spanish flics 
for medicinal use in blister plasters makes a proper sub- 
stitute a desideratum. A writer in the Savannah Republican 
says we have in this country many representatives of the same 
genus, and enumerates the blistering beetle, or potato fly, so 
prevalent in our gardens, and so injurious to vegetation, as effi- 
cacious. He says : 

"The blistering plaster and Cmifha rides of medicine are pre- 
pared from the Spanish flies, Cantharis vesicatoria, which are 
collected in Spain and Italy in large quantities for exportation. 
We have in North America many representatives of the same 
genus. Several species have been used for the same purpose, 
and in this immediate neighborhood the Cantharis vittata, var, 
striped blistering beetle, commonly called the potato fly. The 
blistering beetles have been enumerated among the insects di- 
rectly beneficial to man, on account of the important use made 
of them in medical practice; yet the gardeners in our neighbor- 
hood will testify that the insect in question is very injurious to 
vegetation, appearing in large numbers on the Irish potato, 
tomato, egg-plant, and beet, which they will strip of every leaf 
I have, however, remarked that they will give the preference to 
a common weed, if in close proximity — an Amarantus — a kind 
of prince's feather. The insect is of a dull, tawny, or light 
yellowish color, with two black spots on the head, two black 
stripes on the thorax, and three broad ones on each wing cover. 
The underside of the body, the legs, (excepting the first joint, 
which is yellowish,) the antennce or feelers, are black. Its length 
is from five to eight lines, its breadth of body two lines. The 



437 

body is quite soft. These beetles are very shy, timid insects, 
and whenever disturbed fall immediately from the leaves, and 
attempt to conceal themselves among the grass, or draw up their 
long, slender legs and feign themselves dead. In the night and 
in rainy weather they descend from the plants and burrow in 
the ground, or under leaves and tufts of grass. It is, therefore, 
during clear weather, in the morning and evening that they 
feed, and are to be collected. They should be killed by throw- 
ing Lhem into scalding water for one or two minutes, after 
which they should be spread upon cloth or paper to dry, and 
may be made profitable by selling them to the apothecaries for 
medical use." 

Dunglison, in his Therapeutics, saj'S that the Cantharis vittata, 
Lytta vittata, potato fly, is somewhat smaller than the Spanish 
fly, {Cantharis vesicaforia,) its length being about six lines. The 
head* is of a light red color, with dark spots on the top; the 
feelers are black ; the elytra, or wing-cases, black, with a yellow 
longitudinal stripe in the centre, and a yellow margin ; the 
thorax is black, with three yellow lines; and the abdomen and 
legs, which are of the same color, are covered with an ash- 
colored down, (Wood and Bache.) They are first observed 
about the end of Jul}' or the beginning of August. They are 
found in the morning and evening, and are collected by shaking 
them from the plant in hot water, after which they are care- 
fully dried in the sun. It resembles the Spanish fly in all its 
properties. Other species are found in the United States, viz : 
C. cinerea, a native of the Northern and Middle States ; C. mar- 
ginata ; C. atrata, common in Northern and Middle States; but 
C. vittata is the only one that is officinal, op. cit. sup. In Eng- 
land, according to Pereira, the blistering beetle is found on 
species of the Oleacece, as the ash, privet, and lilac, and upon 
the elder and lonicera. Cloths are spread under the trees, and 
the flies shaken upon them or beaten with long poles ; the flies 
are then killed by being exposed to the vapor of vinegar, hot 
water, or oil of turpentine. Dr. W. A. Patterson, of Virginia, 
in a letter to the Richmond Sentinel. 1863, states that he col- 
lected a number of the potato flies which produced blistering 
very readily, when toasted, powdered and mixed with cerate. 
They may be mixed with two or three parts their weight of a 
cerate, made of equal parts of resin, wax and lard. 



438 

Potato Coffee. — I have seen this used on several plantations in 
lower Carolina as a substitute for coffee. It is one of the best 
when carefully made. The following is given as the mode of 
prepai'ing and using: the sweet potato is peeled and cut to the 
size of coffee berries, spread in the sun until perfectly dry, then 
parched in an oven or pan until thoroughly brown before being 
ground. As much as is intended to be used is then put into a 
cup with a little hot or cold water ; it is mixed well until all is 
wet; boiling water is added, and it is settled like coffee. 

The mucilaginous liquor prepared from potatoes washed and 
grated, the fecula being allowed to remain at the bottom of the 
vessel, is used for cleansing silk, woollen and cotton goods, with- 
out damage to the color. The coarse pulp which does not pass 
the sieve is of use in cleansing worsted curtains, carpets, 
tapestry, and other coarse goods ; also in cleansing oil paint- 
ings. See Ivy. 

Among the plants for supplying starch, none is superior to 
the sweet potato — the red-skin variety, white within, is pre- 
ferred. Large supplies are made upon our plantations by 
grating and washing out the starch granules, then drying. See 
Maranta arundinacea in this volume for mode of making starch; 
also, Ure's Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, etc., vol. 2, p. 462, 
New York, 1853, for a paper on the manufacture of sugar from 
the potato, with a table of the amount of starch in the several 
varieties of the potato. 

Calystegia sejniwi, R. Br. Fla. and northward. 

The decoction of the leaves is a mild pui-gative. Griffith. 

HYDROLEACE^. 

Hydrolea quadrivalvis, Walt. Immersed in ponds ; collected 
in St. John's ; N. C. Fl. July. 
A bitter principle exists in this genus. 

LOBBLIACEiE. 

Lindley states that all are dangerous or suspicious, in conse- 
quence of the excessive acridity of their milk. 

INDIAN TOBACCO; LOBELIA; EMETIC-EOOT, {Lo- 
belia inflata, L.) Grows in Spartanburg and Abbeville Districts, 
and in Grcoro-ia. Fl. Auixust. 



439 

Ell. Bot. Med. Kotes, ii, 219 ; U. S. Disp. 434; Barton's Collec. 
36, 56 ; Thacher's U. S. Disp. 267 ; Frost's Elenis.; Mat. Med. 83. 
This is one of the most valuable of our indigenous plants, well 
known as a nauseating diaphoretic and expectorant, possessing 
some nai'cotic power, and acting particularly on the bronchial 
mucous membranes. The infusion of the flowers promotes urine, 
diaphoresis and the discharge of the lochia; used also in convul- 
sions and palpitations of the heart. The juice which exudes 
from the plant is of a penetrating and diffusible nature; from its 
effects upon the eye it is called "eye-bright." The tincture, in 
small doses, just sufficient to produce slight nausea, is used to 
prevent colic and croup in infants. The plant in sj^irits is 
given largely in the bite of serpents, and the tincture ap- 
plied externally is said to relieve the pain caused by the stings 
of spiders and insects. See the " Cherokee Physician." The in- 
fusion of the plant is stimulating to the throat, and is largely 
employed in asthma, as it occasions a copious secretion of saliva 
and of mucous fluid : "It, however, sometimes operates vehe- 
mently and speedily on the stomach." Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 237 ; 
Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 137. Chapman, Bigelow and 
Barton spoke of it as a very active and dangerous plant. Sup- 
plem. to Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 1846, 438. Dr. Noach, 
of Leipsic, says that it acts specifically on the "pneumogastric 
nervous system," and consequently possesses such a remarkable 
influence on the bronchial mucous membrane. In Geneva, also, 
it has acquired great reputation in spasmodic asthma. See the 
12th series of the Journal de Chim. et de Pharmacie, i, 454. Dr 
EUiotson cured two cases in four days with the alcoholic tincture 
in a sufficient quantity of distilled water. It has been found in 
Europe vevy useful in chronic bronchitis, aphony, and nervous 
affections of the bronchia and in laryngitis and hooping cough. 
It has been administered in convulsions, tetanus and dance of 
St. Guy. Mer. Supplem. See, also. Lancet, February 23, 1833. 
The Indians use it as tobacco, and this is a convenient way of 
administering it. Rufz, d'empoisonnement practique par les Ne- 
gres, 139 ; Sigmond on the properties of L. inflata and syphili- 
tica, in Journal de Chim. Med. ix, 587, 1833; Glasgow Med. 
Journal, May, 1828; Bidault de Villiers, notice sur I'emploi du 
Lob. inflat. dans I'asthme et comme emetique, Nouv. Biblioth. 
Med. V, 226. Lobeline has been extracted from it: Phil. Journal 



440 

Pharm. 1834. Dr. Proctor found it also to contain an odorous 
volatile principle, a peculiar acid, lohelic, gum, resin, fixed oil, 
lignin, salts of lime, potassa, oxide of iron, etc. Am. Journal 
Pharm. ix, 106, xiii, i. It has been used as an enema in the same 
way as tobacco, and, in small doses, to produce relaxation of the 
08 uteri. Eberle employed it with success in a case of strangu- 
lated hernia; ho considers the root and inflated capsule the 
most powerful parts of the plant. Am. Journal Med. Sc. xvii, 
248. Some have doubted whether it produces its effects in the 
same way as tobacco. Dr. Cutler, who introduced it, says if the 
leaves bo held in the mouth, they induce giddiness and pain in 
the head, with agitation, and finally nausea. Both Dr. Eandall 
and himself found it very efficacious in asthma, and employed it 
as a speedy expectorant in catarrh ; the latter did not observe 
any narcotic eifect ensue from it in moderate doses. In Now 
England the infusion has been used advantageously in leucorr- 
hcea. The active principle is extracted by water and alcohol ; 
hot water is said to impair its emetic power ; ten to twenty grains 
of the powdered leaves will act as an emetic, a moiety less as an 
expectorant; two ounces of the dried plant are added to one 
pint of diluted alcohol, of which one teaspoonful given to an 
adult will generally bring on nausea and sometimes vomiting. 
This is the form in which it is usually prescribed in asthma, re- 
peating it several times a day, and desisting when headache or 
nausea ensues. Coxe, Am. Disp. 373 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 179 ; 
Cutler, Mem. Am. Acad, i, 484; Schropf, 128; Mass. Eeport. vi; 
Griffith's Med. Bot. 419; Raf. Med. Fl. ii, 22. Dr. Livezey in a 
paper in the Bost. Med. and Surg. J., v, 35, 110, advises the 
tincture or infusion in the catarrhal affections of children, and 
the saturated tinct. to be applied externally in erysipelas. Great 
use is made of the lobelia in South Carolina and Georgia — the 
steam and vegetable practitioners relying on it. Obstinate and 
very violent cases of flatulent colic, which the tinctures of car- 
damom, etc., fail to relieve, we know to be immediately dissi- 
pated by preparations of this plant. See Matson's Veg. Pract. 
and Howard's Imp. Syst. Bot. Med. 334. I have generally 
selected the tincture or powder of lobelia wherever I thought 
relaxation was required, and where there was a tendency to spas- 
modic action. Some physicians use the powder habitually as an 
emetic ; others consider it too depressing for ordinary cases, and 



prefer ipecacuanha. The habit of giving an agent like this re- 
peatedly, almost daily, throughout a long attack of pneumonia, 
must certainly be injurious; itis, nevertheless, adopted by some 
practitioners. I saw a patient recover to whom it had been 
given in emetic doses every day for three weeks. Dr. Gaston, 
of Columbia, used the tincture successfully in Tetanus. Dr. 
Proctor has prepared a fluid extract — each teaspoonful of this 
represents thirty grains of the powder. XJ. S. Disp., 1866. 

Lobelia syphilitica, L. Mountains of Carolina and Georgia ; 
Newbern. Fl. September. 

Bart. M. Bot.; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 268. In the Dem. 
Elem. de Bot. ii, 92, it is spoken of as an acrid and pui'gative 
plant : "Se truerissont de la verole en buvaiit uue decoction de 
cinq a six racines." Am. Herbal, 208. The Indians employed 
the decoction internally and topically for lues ; they communi- 
cated their opinion of its virtues in this respect to Sir W. 
Johnson, who published it in the April number of the Aman. 
Acad.; Woodv. Med. Bot. 177; Kalni. L. C; Linn. Veg. M. 
Med.; Thornton's Fam. Herbal. 727. Dr. Wood, in the U. S. 
Disp. 436, allows it emetic, diuretic and cathartic properties, 
but denies it any value in syphilis. Dr. Chapman states that it 
is beneficial in drops}'. It is less powerful than the L. inflata, 
but more diuretic and diaphoretic ; its diuretic effects are pro- 
duced by free doses, purging or vomiting as it is augmented. 
From an analysis by M. Boissel, it is found to contain a fatty, 
butyraceous matter, sugar, mucilage, a volatile bitter substance, 
some salts, etc. Mcr. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 138; Des 
Bois de Rochefort, Mat. Med. ii, 212 ; Diet, des Drogues, iii, 378. 
For analysis, sec Journal de Pharm, x, 623 ; Kalm. Description 
du Specifique contre le Mai. Venericn, in the Mem. de I'Acad. de 
Storek, xii, 1750. 

CAKDIN AL FLOWER, {Lobelia cardinalis, L.) Grows in in- 
undated soils, roots often immersed; vicinity of Charleston ; col- 
lected, in St. John's Berkeley, Charleston District; Richland; 
JSTewbern. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bott. Med. Notes, i, 268; Drayton's Views, 77; U. S. 
Disp. 436 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 137 ; DeCan- 
dolle's Essai, 189; Journal de Pharm. iii, 470; Bart. M. Bot. ii, 
186 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 236 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 421. This 
plant is used by the Indians as an anthelmintic — some say quite 



442 

as efficient as the pinkroot. {Spigel. Maryland.) Merat says it 
is employed as a poison by the negroes at the Cape of Good 
Hope. It is well known for its beautiful scarlet flowers. 

CINCHONACE.E. (The Coffee Tribe.) 

The grand features of this order arc powerful febrifugal prop- 
erties in the bark and emetic in the root. Quinquina represents 
the first, and ipecacuanlia the second. 

JAMAICA BARK, (Exostemma Caribaium,'R. and S.) South 
Fla. Chap. 

The capsules, before they are quite ripe, are very bitter, and 
their juice causes a burning itching on the lips; Jaquin's Amer. 
The bark is febrifugal, and often causes vomiting, especially if 
it be fresh ; it is in convex fragments, at first sweetish and mu- 
cilaginous to the taste, afterwards bitter and disagreeable. It 
is also known as Quinquina Caraibe. Griffith. Other plants 
belonging to the Cinchona furail3% and growing in this country, 
should be examined ; such, for instance, as the two species of 
the genus Eandia, growing in S. Fla.; also Borreria, for emetic 
properties. 

GEORGIA BARK, (Pinckneya pubens, Mich.) "Found from 
New River, South Carolina, along the seacoast to Florida." 
Vicinity of Charleston. Plants sent to me by Dr. F. P. Pope 
from Blufton, S. C; abundant in Liberty County, Ga.; Jones. 
Fl. June. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Xotcs, i, 267 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 1830; TT. S. 
Disp. 128; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 519; Griffith Med. Bot. 
366. It was said by Michaux in his N. Am. Sylva to be very 
useful in intermittent fever. Dr. Law, of Georgia, cured six 
out of seven cases with it. It did not distress the stomach, 
though to tw^o patients one ounce was given at a dose; one 
drachm is the usual quantity in which it is administered. Dr. 
Farr detected a considerable amount of cinchonine in it, but was 
prevented from completing his examination. The attention of 
those residing where it may be found is invited to it as a substi- 
tute for quinine. In Georgia a handful of the bark is boiled in 
a quart of water till the liquid is reduced to one-half; the 
infusion is given. The powdered bark may also be given in 
doses of a drachm. 



443 

Surg. A. M. Fauntleroi, of Ya., reports in Confed. S. Med. J. 
for April and Sept., 1864, the results of his experience with the 
extract given generally in six to ten grain doses every second 
hour. He concludes thus : From a careful study of the cases, 
I believe " that the extract has undoubted anti-periodic proper- 
ties, still it is too slow in its action to be used as a substitute 
for quinia. It has, with one exception, always produced dia- 
phoresis. Its therapeutical action is principally that of a tonic, 
and it deserves a position in the front rank of vegetable tonics. 
From the tardiness of its action, and its effect upon the vascu- 
lar system, together with its manifest invigoration of the diges- 
tive organs, I am induced to think its energj' as an agent is 
displayed through the organic nervous system." 

MITCHELLA; PARTRIDE-BEREY, (Mitchella repens, L.) 
Vicinity of Charleston ; grows in shady swampy lands; col- 
lected tn St. John's. Fl. May. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 199. An infusion of the stems and 
leaves is used in dysuria, its diuretic powers, however, not being 
of any importance. A decoction of this plant is esteemed a 
good emetic, and has obtained, says Mills in his Statistics of S. C, 
a very general use. The " Cherokee Doctor" declares that the 
"decoction taken freel}^ is an excellent article to facilitate child- 
birth. It should be used daily for two or three weeks before 
that period!" The fruit is slightly acid and is edible. It re- 
sembles the pipsissewa and maybe used in the same manner 
as that plant, being diuretic, tonic and astringent. U. S. Disp. 

BUTTON-BUSH, (Gephalaiithus Occident alis.) Grows along 
rivulets in damp soils; collected in St. John's; specimens from 
Aiken ; vicinity of Chai"leston. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 487 ; Drayton's View, 62 ; Mer. and de 
L. Diet, de Med. ii, 176 ; Shec. Flora Carol. 376. The decoction 
has been used in palsy. Elliott states that the inner bark of 
the root is frequently employed in obstinate coughs. Merat 
notices it as an anti-venereal. A writer in the "Mercury" 
says : " The root of the buttonwood or crane willow, a shrub 
which is conspicuous in our swamps in the spring, when boiled 
with honey and cumfrey, makes a pleasant syrup, which is the 
most effective remedy known to me in diseases of the lungs. It 
is thought by many intelligent persons to be a radical cure for 
consumption !" 



U4: 

Psychotria lanceolata, Nutt., and P. undata, Jacq., both grow- 
ing in South Fla., should be examined as this genus is closely 
allied with the Ipecacuanha, and the S. American species P. 
emetica are the same as those of Ipecacuanha. 

COFFEE, (Coffea Aribica, L.) Exotic. 

Should the culture of coifee be attempted in the Southern 
States, I would refer the reader to Patent Office Eeports, Agri- 
culture, 1858, p. 313, for an instructive condensed report on the 
mode of cultivation in Jamaica, Central America and other 
countries, with the mode of planting, harvesting, curing, etc., 
etc. See "Potato," "Okra" and "Eye" for substitutes for 
coffee. 

E U BI ACE.E. ( The JIadder Tribe.) 

MADDEE, (Bubia tinctorium.) Exotic. 

Any one interested in ascertaining what amount of any plant, 
vegetable or agricultural product was exported from or imported 
into the United States, can obtain a list of quantities and value 
in Patent Office Eeports, 1858. It sei-ves to show the consump- 
tion of certain articles, the demand for them, and the conse- 
quent necessity for their cultivation. I find upon consulting 
these tables, that madder, for example, was imported to an 
enormous amount, twenty million pounds, for calico-printing, 
dyeing, etc ; a plant wh!ch might be cultivated within our lim- 
its. See method, Patent Office Eeports, 1855. So, also, soda, 
barilla, coffee, and numerous other articles which we are or 
were in the habit of importing. We may find among the genus 
Galium, some plants yielding dyes — Galium trifidum, L. and his- 
pidulum, {^Rubia Brownii, Mx.,") grows from Florida to Xorth 
Carolina. G. verum, found in England, contains so much pig- 
ment as to have been cultivated in place of madder. " Its 
flowering tops boiled in alum dye a bright yellow color, its roots 
yield a red dye equal to that of madder, and the whole of the 
plant when bruised has the property of curdling milk, and is 
sometimes employed both for coloring and flavoring milk in- 
tended for cheeses;" hence called cheese-rennet. Eural Cyc. 

Since writing the above, I see it stated by Pursh that the 
Indians use our G. trifidum, L. {G. tinctorium) for dyeing their 
porcupine quills, feathers, leather, etc., of a beautiful red color. 



445 

Oldenlandia, Houstonia, Hedyotis. — These plants, growing 
abundantly in the Southern States, and belonging to the mad- 
der tribe, should be experimented with for tinctorial purposes, 

CAHIXCA OR CAiNCA, (Chiococca racemosa, Jacq.) South 
Florida. Chap. 

The C. racemosa of L. is supposed to furnish the root called 
Cainca which was much used in Brazil as a tonic, diuretic, pur- 
gative and emetic. The bark yields cahincic acid which is be- 
lieved to be the active principle. 

Dr. Wood (U. S. Disp., 12lh Ed.) makes the following state- 
ments respecting the plant. In moderate doses it gently ex- 
cites the circulation, increases the discharge of urine and pro- 
duces evacuations from ' He bowels ; but is rather slow in its 
operation. It may be made to act also as a diaphoretic by 
keeping the skin warm, using warm drinks and counteracting 
its purgative tendency. In some patients it occasions nausea 
and griping, and in very large doses always acts powerfully 
both as an emetic and cathartic. The bark of the fresh root 
rubbed with water was used in the bite of serpents — given in 
quantity sufhcient to excite vomiting and purging. Patrick 
Brown, Dr. W. adds, speaks of the root of C. racemosa as very 
useful in obstinate rheumatism. The virtues of Cahinca in 
dropsy were made known to the European public in 1826. A. 
Eichard and M. Francois, of Paris, published accounts of it, the 
latter considering it superior to all others as a remedy in dropsy; 
but this estimate has not been sustained by the experience of all 
who have used it. It was employed in substance, decoction, ex- 
tract and tincture. The powdered bark of the root was given 
as a diuretic and purgative in a dose varying from a scruple to 
a drachm ; but ten to twenty grains of the spirituous extract was 
preferred. In dropsy Dr. F. advised that the full impression of 
the medicine should be produced at once, which should be main- 
tained by smaller doses, repeated three or four times a day. U. 
S. Disp. 

CAPRIFOLIACE.E. {The Honeysuckle Tribe.) 

Independently of the fragrance and beauty of these plants, 
astringent and purgative properties are possessed by some of 
them. 



446 

FEYER-EOOT; WILD IPECACUANHA; WILD COF- 
FEE; HOESE GENTIAN, {Triosteum perfoliatum,JAnr\.) 

Bart. M. Bot. i, 59 ; Barton's Collec. 29 ; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 
i, 271 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 91 ; Eaf. Med. Fl. i, 59 ; Griffith 
Med. Bot. 353. This plant acts as a gentle but certain cathartic, 
particularly when combined with calomel, when its operation is 
almost as marked as that of jalap. The bark of the root is also 
emetic, the leaves and stalks proving less powerful. To produce 
its cathartic effect Bigelow finds a somewhat larger dose than 
that of aloes or jalap necessary, though it is supposed to be in- 
fluenced* by age. Eafinesque says the leaves are also diajDho- 
retic ; and it is stated by Dr. Muhlenberg that the hard seeds, 
properly prepared, are a good substitute for coffee. Eaudall, in 
his communication to the Linnjean society, asserts that water 
extracts its virtues best ; but it is now recommended to be 
treated with alcohol. The decoction is said to be used by the 
Cherokee Indians in the cure of fevers; also given hot in colds 
and female obstructions. The dose as a purge is from ten to 
fifteen grains of the extract, and twenty to thirty grains of the 
powdered root. Dose of the extract from ten to twenty grains. 

DE. TINKER'S WEED, {Triosteum angustifolmvi, Linn.) 
Grows in South Carolina. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 353, Possesses properties similar to those 
of the T. perfoliatum. 

WOODBINE, (Lonicera sempervirens, Ait. and T. and G. Cap- 
rifolium, Ell. Sk. Grows in wet swamps ; more abundant in 
lower country ; vicinity of Charleston; collected in St. John's. 
Fl. May. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 143. The plant is not 
much used in medicine. The syrup made of the leaves is given 
in asthma, and in angina tonsillaris. The leaves and bark of 
the i. caprifolium of Linn, are styptic and acrid ; the flowers 
diuretic ; the latter in decoction calm the pain of colic (coliques 
ou tranchees) following childbirth. 

BUSH HONEY-SUCKLE, {Diervilla trlfida, Moench. and T. 
and G. Diervilla Canadensis, Ell. Sk. Muhl. Lonicera diervilla, 
Linn.) Grows in the mountains of South Carolina and Georgia. 
Fl. June. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 554. The leaves possess a narcotic 
principle, inducing nausea, and are recommended as a gargle in 



447 

catarrhal angina. The decoction calms the pain attending the 
disease ; taken largely it causes stupor and catalepsy. 

BLACK IIAW, (Virburnum jyrumfolium, Jj.) Fruit edible. 

Dr. Phares, of Newtonia, Miss., calls attention in the Atlanta 
Med. and Surg. Journ. (1847) to the medical properties of this 
plant. He regards it as a nervine, anti-spasmodic, astringent, 
diuretic and tonic, and claims that in the nervous disorders of 
pregnancy and uterine diseases, it is a valuable remedial agent. 
He says : " It is particularly valuable in preventing abortion 
and miscarriage, whether habitual or otherwise ; whether threat- 
ened from accidental cause or criminal drugging." The editor 
of the same journal adds his testimony in favor of the same 
remedy, and details several cases when threatened miscarriage 
was promptly arrested by its use. It is given in the form of in- 
fusion or decoction of the bark, in doses of from one to two 
oun«es, repeated every two or three hours, until the pains 
cease; then lessen the dose and lengthen the interval according 
to circumstances. Where there is a tendency to abortion, it 
may be used as a preventive three or four times daily, for a 
great length of time. (Richmond Med. J.Jan., 1868, p. 77.) See 
Hamamelis Virginica, for which the same virtues are claimed. 
The Black Haw may probably contain viburnic acid, which was 
thought to be yielded bj^ the Elder, which is closely related to it. 

ELDER, (Sambitcus Canadensis, Linn.) Grows abundantly 
along fences and in rich, damp soils; diffused; Newbern. Fl. 
June. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 248; Bell's Pract. Diet. 404; Drayton's 
View, 55; Le Mat. Med. ii, 325; U. S. Disp. 625; Roj^le, Mat. 
Med. 423; Gullen, Mat. Med. ii, 534; Mer. and de L. Diet. dcM. 
Med. vi, 196 ; Griffith Med. Bot. 354. " The leaves are fetid, 
emetic and a di*astic purgative;" the plant acting in the same 
way as the European species, the S. nigra ; the leaf-buds also 
operating as a powerful purgative. The bark yields valerianic 
acid. The juice of the root has been highly recommended in 
dropsy as a hydragogue cathartic, sometimes acting as an 
emetic, in the dose of a tablespoonful, repeated every day with 
less frequency if it act with violence. Dr. Stratton, of New 
Jersey, uses a syrup in place of Sarsaparilla, made with the juice 
of the berries. New Jersey Med. Rep., vii, 466. U. S. Disp. 
The flowers are excitant and sudorific, and are used in the form 



448 

of an ointment as a discutient. The inner bark is a hydragogue 
cathartic and emetic, acting well in drops}'', and as an alterative 
in various chronic diseases. The purgation which results from 
its employment is sometimes, however, too severe. The berries 
are diaphoretic and aperient, and are used as a remedy in rheu- 
matic gout and syphilitic affections. The juice of these diluted 
with water furnishes a cooling and valuable laxative drink. 
This plant is employed to some extent in domestic practice for 
the purposes severally referred to above. A decoction made by 
pouring boiling water over the leaves, flowers or berries of the 
elder is recommended as a wash for wounds to prevent injury 
from flies. An ointment used for the same purpose is prepared 
by stirring the elder or mixing the juice into lard while boiling, 
and straining through a coarse sieve. Beeswax may be added. 

Surg. S. E. Chambers reports in the Confed. States Med. 
Journal, Jan., 1865. that he has used the following ointment 
with complete success in at least one hundred cases of camp 
itch. In ordinary cases it will cure in one week. The patient 
is first made to wash well with soap and water, to dry the parts 
affected, and then to rub the ointment on the parts affected 
with the hand until it is absorbed. One pound of the inner 
bark of the elder, in two and a half pints of water is boiled 
down to one quarter of a pint. Then one pound of lard and 
four ounces of sweet gum are added, evaporate the water and 
at the same time skim whatever filth may rise to the top of the 
vessel, after which set it aside to cool. When thoroughly cool 
add two ounces of basilicon ointment, three of olive oil and half 
an ounce of flour of sulphur. See, also, Phylotacca decandra, 
Poke. According to Mr. Cozzens, the ripe berries afford a deli- 
cate test for acids and alkalies. The elder berry stewed with 
copperas, vinegar and alum, makes, as I have seen, an excellent 
ink and a dye. 

Recipe for Blacking. — Boil elder berries well, mashing the 
pulpy matter. Then strain through a colander and bottle for 
use. The liquid sours somewhat by age, but retains its qualities. 

Another. — Simmer ripe elder berries over a slow fire in an iron 
kettle for one hour, and let the mass cool, and you will have 
good blacking. 

The juice may be pressed out and put away for use as you 
may need it, and the pulp or mass may also be used. 



449 

The leaves of the English elder (S. nigra) are noxious to in- 
sects, moles, etc. The flowers are used in fomentations and 
cooling ointments. " The leaves boiled in lard make one of the 
most emollient and suppling unguents known to the farmer. 
The flowers are used for making a perfumed, distilled water. 
The berries, according to experiments of M. Wehrle, of Vienna, 
produce a comparatively much lai'ger quantity of spirits than 
can be obtained from the malt of the best wheat. The juice in 
these experiments was expressed from the berries, treated in 
the same manner as the must of grapes, and afterwards dis- 
tilled." Wilson's Eural Cyc. It would be interesting to ascer- 
tain to what extent our species share the above properties. 
The following is from the Lynchburg Eepublican, 1863 : "Excel- 
lent brandy, is distilled from the berries of the common elder 
bush. The sample shown us contains 70 per cent, of alcohol, 
which is about 30 per cent, more than is contained in ordinary 
liquor. The taste is fully equal to the best apple brandy, which 
it resembled so closely as to be undistinguishable except by a 
good judge. The process of manufacture is exactly similar to 
that of apple or poach brandy." 

COMPOSITE. 

• 

These embrace four orders, all of which are distinguished by 
bitterness, which in the different sections is variously combined. 
In the order Asterace^ it assumes a particular character, being 
united with a resinous principle ; in the Cynarace^ this bitter- 
ness depends upon the mixture of extractive with a gum, which 
is sometimes yielded in great abundance ; the Chichorace^ are 
characterized by a juice, which is milky, bitter, astringent and 
narcotic. 

Vernonia angustifolia, Mx. Grows in the pine lands in lower 
country ; collected in St. John's Berkeley. Fl. July. 

The root is used by the negroes in South Carolina as a remedy 
for the bite of serpents. It is also considered by them to be 
aphrodisiac. 

WILD VANILLA, (Liatris odoratissima, Walt.) St. John's 
Berkeley, S. C; Wassamasaw swamp ; North Carolina, near sea- 
coast, (Croom.) 

Very aromatic. Used for scenting cigars and tobacco. The 
29 



450 

ai\>in:\ is alnnulantly givoii out whon iroiidon upon hy horsos' 
foot. 

Tho orvstalli/.!\blo odorous prinoiplo counuirin, t'ouiul in tho 
Tonka boan and oon\nion to tho 'lyi/olittm mth'lotu,<, Anthoxan- 
thum Oiioraiuin, oto., Mr. Tivotor has asoortainod to oonstituto 
also tho oxndation upon tho loavos of this spooios of Liatris. 
Jklr. W. U. l.ippit. of Wihuinijton, N. C, had sont him speci- 
mons of it whioh had boon ooUootod for tlio purposo of pwtoot- 
insx woollons tivnx moths. U. S. Oisp.. 12th Kd., and Am. J. 
Pharm., Novombor, 1S59. The ohomists now manufacture 
many of tho tlavonui; tVuit ossonoos. voi:;otabIo port'umos, oou- 
marin, oto. 

BLAZING STAl^: BUTTON SNAKKROOP; KATTLE- 
8NAKK'S MASTKR, {^r.iittris Sijiuvrossih W.) (irows in pino 
hinds ; oollootod in St. .lolm's Horkoloy ; Riohhuul l>lstriot ; 
vicinity of Charleston. 

U. S. r>isp. 1278; Journal do C\nm. Mod. v, 41l>. " Us sont 
iisitoos oontro la moi*suro dos sorpons." Mor and do L. Oiot. do 
M. Mod. iv, 07. Vh^" iMOt is acrid, bitterish pnMi:;ont, and yioUls 
H balsamic substance in alcohol. 

Liatris scariosa. W. Ciivws in pino lands; vicinity of (.Charles- 
ton. Fl. July. « 

U. S. IMsp. 1273, Appendix. It is employed in gonorrluipa. 
awd a8 a gavglo in sore throat. It has a i^ivat reputation 
thrv>ughout the South for tho bite of serpents. Pursh. 

Liatris spicata, W. tii\nvs ii\ wet pine lands ; ooUectod in 
St. John's Berkeley, Charleston District ; vicinity of Charleston ; 
Newborn. Kl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 1272. One of the >• rattlesnake's masters." l>r. 
Barton said that all tho tuberous-rooted Liatrcs were active 
plants. 

This plant, called ••button-snakoi-oot " by son\o, is reported to 
be a stiniulant. diuretic and expectorant ; also possessing powers 
as an anodyne ; it is consequently given as a ronxody in colic, 
the tincture or the decoction of tho i-oot being employed — said 
to resemble senega snakeroot, and to excite a flow of saliva 
when chewed. These plants are used by the Thomsoniaus. 
Eiddel Syn. Fl. West. States. 

Mikania. Au iufusiou and tincture of a species (^liuaeo)grow- 



451 

in^ in Houth America ; urc rnuoh uho'J for ifio r';lif;f of goaty 
paroxyHrriH. Our plant ''A/, /nandi-.n^. j H-hoijId be examined. 

TlIOIiOC^illVVOIiT; liONKSKT, U'Jupatonum perfoUatum, 
Linn,; firowH in damp koiIk ; diffuHcd ; iiichland DiHtrict ; ';^>m- 
inon in low eoiintry, Fl. Jiily. 

(Jhap. 'i'herap. and Mat. Med. i, 387, and ii, 435; Bell's Pract. 
J:)iet. V.fl; Kll. liot. Med. NotcH, ii, 303; Pc. Mat. Med. and 
Thcrap. '.',HU ; FroHt'H KiemH. Mat. M<^1. 21G; Eberle, Mat. Med. 
ii, 210 ; Itoyle, Mat. Med. 445; O. H. Di^p. 3H< ; Kd. and Vav. 
Mat. Med. 197; Hig. Am. Med. iiot. i, 34; Thacher'H Am. DiHp. 
217; Am. Med. li(^-j)r<l, iii, 331 ; Harton'H K»8ay to Mat. Med. 
28; liall. and Gar. Mat. M-d. 315; Sehrxjpf, Mat. Med. 121; 
Guthrie, in Annal, of .MwJ. iii, 403; Ander->/;n'H Inaug. ThewiH, 
Kew York; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 177 ; Coxe, Am. 
binp. 271 ; Hhee. Flora Carol. 549 ; Hart. M. Hot. ii, 133 ; Lind. 
Nat. SyHt. liot. 253. 

A warm infunion of thiH plant i!< emetic, Hudorific and diapho- 
retic ; employed cold an a tonic and febrifuge. The hot decoc- 
tion rnay be given in the hot Kta^'eH of Utvdrn without exciting 
the HyHtem. Small quantitien of the cold infunion, repeatedly 
given will, it in Haid, purge, and are prescribed in constipation. 
The leavcH and flowerw, in powdern, •d^•^() purge, even in doses of 
ten to twenty grains. The discharge of bile is promote^^J by it. 
It has been repeatedly prescribed with advantage in rheumatism, 
typhoid pneumonia, catarrhs, dropny, and in the inflaenza wjjich 
prevailed at the North, and which was described by \)r. liush; 
he also used it with great suc<;ess in the yellow fever of 1798; 
and Dr. Chapman found it one of the most effectual remedies in 
the epidemic " break-bone fever." Graves, of Dublin, has made 
miieJi use of it in the ship, or typhus fever. See note to Graves 
and Gerhard, Am, ed. 

This plant is extensively employed among the negroes on the 
plantations in South Carolina as a tonic and diaphoretic in colds 
and fever-", and in the typhoid pneumonia so prevalent among 
them. In cases of this disease which have come under my 
observation, I have found this and the senega snakeroot 
{Foiyjala Hcnc/ja) convenient and useful prescriptions ; the latter, 
with tartar emetic solution, to promote expectoration ; and the 
former, witli flaxseed tea, as a stimulant diaphoretic, combining 
them with spirits of turpentine when it has assumed the typhoid 



452 

form. From its action on the ciipillaries, it has been recom- 
mended in chronic cutaneous diseases. Barton said it possessed 
no power in this respect; but in the hands of Dr. Zollickoifer it 
has proved eminently successful in tinea capitis, given in com- 
bination with cremor tartar. See Griffith Med. Bot. 391. In 
the Supplem. to the Diet, de M. Med. 1846, it is reported to have 
been given with benefit in asthma. Echo du Monde Savant, 16 ; 
Janvier, 1845. The infusion of the roots and leaves is usually 
preferred, of which one to three ounces may be taken several 
times a day ; of the root, in powder, the dose is thirty grains. 
As an emetic and cathartic a strong decoction is used, made by 
boiling an ounce of the herb in three half pints of water to one 
pint ; given in doses of one or two gills or more. Given hot, it 
acts as a diaphoretic ; cold, as a tonic. 

Thoroughwort or boneset tea used hot, in the cold stages of 
malarial fever, and cold in the hot stages, is believed by many 
physicians in South Carolina, who have used it since the begin- 
ning of the war, to be the very best of our indigenous anti-perio- 
dics as a substitute for quinine. It is thought to be superior in 
this respect to either poplar bark, (^Liriodendron tuUpifera,') wil- 
low, (Salix,) or dogwood. It is also an excellent, stimulating 
diaphoretic in low fevers. The " Indian doctors " make a pill to 
act upon the liver, which they call the " hepatic pill," by boiling 
thoroughwort leaves until their strength is extracted, then 
strain the decoction and continue boiling till it becomes thick — 
an extract in other words. It is made up with starch into pills, 
and three are given at a dose. See " Indian Guide to Health." 

The extensive diffusion of this plant, and the variety of 
powers possessed by it, being a sudorific and anti-periodic and a 
tonic, makes it peculiarly valuable to the people of the Southern 
States. In the discharge of my duties as surgeon of the City 
Hospital, Charleston, 1866-7, 1 have repeatedly made use of the 
following formula, recommended by Gerhard, in the treatment 
of bronchitis and pneumonia, and always with satisfactory re- 
sults : Recipe, eupatorum leaves, one ounce ; senega roots, two 
drachms ; roots of sanguinaria, one drachm, (or two of the tinc- 
ture,) infused in a pint of boiling water, a wineglassful every 
three hours. This alone is sufficient in most cases of bronchitis. 
In pneumonia and pleurisy I usually associate with it alterative 
doses of mercurj', ipecac and soda, with revulsives to the skin. 



453 

and Dover's powder at night, uning supportive treatment also, 
and stimulaiit.s when nccc8Hary. Surgeon M. B. Beck reports 
in the Confed. S. Med. J., September, 1864, excellent effects re- 
sulting from the use of a decoction of eupatorium and serpen- 
taria, a half ounce of each to a pint of water, a wineglassful 
every three or four hours, in cases of typhoid fever, a mild 
mercurial being premised. 

The plants just mentioned, the blackberry, chinquapin, 
{Castanea) and dogwood to be used as astringents, the gentians, 
pipsisscwa, Sabbatia, etc., as bitter tonics, can easily be ob- 
tained by our soldiers while in camp, and they will be found to 
fulfil all the indications required in most cases of fever, dysentery, 
diarrh^jta, catarrhs, etc. In the formation of demulcent drinks, 
as substitutes for flaxseed and gum-arabic, the roots and leaves 
of the sassafras, and the leaves of the Bene (Sesamum) will 
suflce. The Podophyllum (wild jalap) will supply the purga- 
tive ; therefore, with the possession of opium and calomel, the 
surgeon in tlve field can himself obtain almost everything 
desired, and with comparatively little aid from the Medical 
Purveyors. Our chief desiderata were the preparations of pot- 
ash, viz: nitrate, chlorate and bicarbonate, and sup. carb. of 
Boda. We may procure soda from our Salsola kali. 

The winter-green (Chimaphila umbellata) is both tonic and 
diuretic, and may be given with advantage in dropsy. In ex- 
amining (1862j the excrescences produced by an insect on 
nearly all the leaves of the cotton-wood tree (^Populm hete- 
rojjhylla, L.) I find them possessed of an intensely bitter prin- 
ciple, which may be made useful as a tonic given in spirits. 
The cinquefoil (Potentilla) is mucilaginous, and I am informed 
that in Sumter District, S. C, it is used with great advantage 
as a remedy in affections of the lungs, chronic colds, etc. 

PUIiPLE TIIOPtOUGHWOKT; GKAVEL HOOT, {Eupa- 
torium purpmreum, L.) I have a specimen from Abbeville Dis- 
trict from Mr. Reed; Kichland District; collected in St. John's, 
Charleston District ; grows in damp or inundated soils ; vicinity 
of Charleston. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 319 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 177. It 
is said to operate as a diuretic; and it is one of the popular 
remedies for calculus, probably possessing properties somewhat 
similar to those of the Eup. per/. 



454 

WILD HOEEHOUND, {Eupatorium tencrifolium, W. and T. 
ami G. Eupatorium verbenivfoliu)n, Ell. Sk.) Grows in damp 
soils; collected iiV St. John's. Fl. August. 

Michaux, Flora Amor, ii, 98 ; U. S. Disp. 319. This is tonic, 
diaphoretic, diuretic and aperient. A popular remedy in inter- 
mittents, and in fevers and colds. See observations of Dr. Geo. 
Jones, of Georgia. It may bo substituted in some cases for the 
Eup. perfol. Dr. Jos. Jones speaks of this as E. rotundifolium. 
See S. M. and S. Jour., October, 1861. 

Eupatorium rotundifolium, L. Grows in dry pine barrens; 
collected in St. John's Berkeley; vicinity of Charleston; Eich- 
land District. Fl. July and August. 

Mer. and do L. Diet, do M. Mod. iii, 177 ; Journal Gen. de 
IMed. xxxvi, 111. The infusion is said to be useful in consump- 
tion. See Dr. Mitchell's letter. 

Dr. Jos. Jones, Ga., has employed this by itself and with dog- 
wood bark, with "very good success " in intermittent fevers. 
S. M. and Surg. Journal, October, 1861. 

DOGFENNEL, (Eujmforiujn /(vnictdaceum, Willd.) Dr. M. 
Moore, of Statesburg, informs mo that the fresh juice of the 
dogfennel will relieve pain caused by the bites of spiders and 
insects. The leaves may be beaten in a cloth and the juice 
expressed. It is believed by some that the presence of this 
plant indicates the existence of the cause of malarial fevers. 
It is used to keep off inserts and bugs by strewing on the floors 
of cellars and dairies. 

This plant is said to tan leather in an extraordinarily short 
space of time, by a process which attracted much attention 
during the fall of 1861. Strange that in my examination of 
this plant, with that of others, I found that it contained scarcely 
a trace of tannin. But the common name of dogfennel has 
been applied to the ox-eyed daisy, {Leucanthemum vidgare, 
Lam.,) and to the wild chamomile, {Maruta cotula,) or stinking 
Mayweed. 

The Tallahassee Floridian (1861) says : 

" Leather tanned by the new pi'ocess. — We have seen a specimen 
of kip leather said to be tanned by Isaac Bierfiold, of New- 
bei"ry, S. C, in twenty days, with his dogfennel preparation. 
The sample was soft and pliable, and had all the appearance of 



455 

being equal to the best French leather. We understand that 
our shoemakers so pronounce it. 

" Everybody knows what dogfennel is, and will be glad to 
learn that it is of some account after all. The weed ^rows in 
great abundance and perfection in all parts of Florida. Mr. 
Bierfield says that now is the time to gather it, and that it 
should be put under shelter. Planters would do well to lay by 
a goodly portion of it, as it may prove highly valuable in the 
manufacture of their leather." 

I have not been able to procure, by application made to Mr. 
Bierfield, any specimens of the plant he uses. I have reason to 
believe (1867) that my estimate of the want of value in this 
plant, based purely upon a scientific examination of it, has been 
amply confirmed and that it never was of any real utility. 
The dogfennel was only used as an aid, and Mr. J. Commins 
wh(y tested it alone, found it useless. It may assist in opening 
the pores of the skin. 

MOUSE-E AK, (Aster tortifolius, Mx.) Vicinity of Charleston ; 
grows in dry pine barrens ; collected in St. John's. 

This plant has some reputation in domestic practice in South 
Carolina as a diuretic. I have noticed the summit generally 
covered with little insects. 

Aster cordifolius. Grows in rich lands. Fl. August. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 387. This and A. puniceus possess anti- 
spasmodic properties. A small species (Diplopappus linarifoUus, 
Hooker, Aster, Ell. Sk.) grows in pine barrens, St. John's 
Berkeley, S. C, the leaves of which contain an unusual amount 
of silica; they are employed to polish horns, and as a substi- 
tute for sand-paper. 

COLT'S-TAIL; FLEA-BANE, (^n^eron Canadense, Jj.) Com- 
mon in damp, sandy soils; collected in St. John's Berkeley; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Eichland ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Koyle, Mat. Med. 447 ; Matson's Veg. Prac. 368 ; U. S. Disp. 
316 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 140 ; Journal de Bot. 
448 ; et des Pharm. 214 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 268 ; Griffith Med. 
Bot. 395; Dem. Elera. de Bot. 200 ; Eaf Med. Fl. 

This is a stimulant tonic, diuretic and astringent, employed 
with marked success in dropsy and diarrhoea ; it is much used 
by the vegetable practitioners in the latter disease ; they give a 
tea cupful of the infusion of the herb in hot water every two 



456 

hours; when chewed it relieves cholera morbus. Dr. Depuz 
found it useful in these diseases. See his observations quoted 
in the U. S. Disp. 316. He found tannin, gallic acid, and vola- 
tile oil among its constituents, from whence its beneficial action 
in the diseases specified may be inferred. An infusion of the 
powdered flowers is anti-spasmodic, and is employed in hysteri- 
cal and nervous affections. The oil obtained from the plant 
possesses extraordinary styptic properties. The dose of the 
powder is thirty grains to one drachm. 

In the Am. Journal M. Sc, 1866, I find the following, 
signed J. S. P.: 

A New Remedy in Gonorrhoea. — In July, 1859, while narrowly 
observing the effects of oil of erigeron administered in a fearful 
haemoptysis, I was led to suspect that it would prove a useful 
remedy in the treatment of gonorrhoea. Acting upon this pre- 
sumption, I immediately commenced giving it to a patient then 
under my care, in whose case all the vaunted specifics had 
most signally failed. He improved at once, and was speedily 
cured. Since that date I have prescribed it in about fifty cases, 
with unvarying success. It arrests the discharge in about 
seventy-two hours, and effects a cure in from six to eight days. 
I do not recommend it as a specific in all cases, but design 
merely to bring it to the notice of the profession as an exceed- 
ingly valuable medicine in this disease. When, in recent cases, 
the urethral inflammation is severe, my plan is to precede the 
remedy with a full dose of some active hydragogue. A formula 
is : R. — Pulv. sennas scruples ij ; pulv. jalap, scruples j., pulv. 
aronaatici grs. x. m. Add a gill of boiling water and a tea- 
spoonful of sugar, and, when sufficiently cool, agitate and 
swallow at a dose. As soon as this operates, give ten drops of 
the oil on sugar, and three hours later a full dose of spts. ether, 
nit. in infus. althea, and so on every three hours alternately 
until the urethral irritation is allayed. Then leave off the 
latter, and continue the oil until the cure is complete. If the 
case is not recent, or there is but little urethral irritation, the 
oil alone is sufficient. I have used it also in combination with 
copaba and other articles, and found such preparations to 
answer a good purpose, but no better than the oil alone. 

The oil which I use is reputed to be that of the Erigeron 



457 

Cana dense ; but I presume that from the Fhiladelphicum is 
equal, if not superior, for this pui-pose. 

The oil of Flea-bane, reported by Dr. Wilson, of Philadelphia, 
as having been used by Dr. Bourvonville and himself in doses of 
five drops every two hours, with great success in uterine hemorr- 
hage, (Trans. Coll. Phys. JST. S. ii, 330,) Dr. Wood says must 
have been that obtained from 1^. Canadense ; U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

FKOST-EOOT, {Erigeron Fhiladelphicum, L. Non. Ell.) Com- 
mon in pastures; collected in St. John's Berkeley; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. May. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 253 ; Shec. Flora Carol. 537 ; Boyle, 
Mat. Med. 447; Bart. M. Bot. i, 234; U. S. Disp. 317. It is 
diuretic, without being offensive to the stomach. Fr. Elems. 81. 
In great repute as a remedy in calculus and in nephritic dis- 
eases. It was a favorite prescription in Philadelphia in dropsy, 
and Br. Wistar recommends it in hydrothorax complicated with 
gout. Dr. F. L. John, of Philadelphia, obtained from forty-five 
pounds of the hei-b only half a drachm of the oil. U. S. Disp., 
12th Ed. The plant is officinal. One ounce of the plant to be 
administered in infusion or decoction of one pint in twenty-four 
hours. 

Erigeron strigosum, Muhl. Grows in sandy soils ; vicinity of 
Charleston. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 396. It is similar in properties to the E. 
annuuni, a favorite diuretic in the dysurfa of children — used by 
Physick and Dewees in painful micturition dependent on neph- 
ritis. This also yields a styptic oil similar to that afforded by 
the E. Canadense. 

Erigeron iiusilum. Grows in pastures and cultivated soils; 
collected in St. John's Berkeley. Fl. June. 

U. S. Disp. 316. 

SNEEZE-WOET ; SWAMP SUN-FLOWEE, (Helenium 
autnnmale, L.) Fla. and northward. 

It possesses a bitter, pungent or acrid taste. It appears to 
be tonic and diaphoretic, and is also powerfully errhine. Clay- 
ton and Schoepf have noticed it as useful in intermittent, but it 
is principally known for its power to produce running from the 
nose, the whole plant acting thus, but principally the flowers 
and the central florets. Eafinesque states that Dr. Barton con- 
sidered it a highly useful substitute for the more acrid articles 



458 

of this class, though it is not equal in power to the wild ginger, 
(Asarum,) or the brown powder of the leaves of the Kalmia. 
GriflSth ; Barton Flo. Am. Sept. 

GOLDBN-EOD, (Solidago odora, Ait.) Grows in rich soils, 
among the mountains, and in the upper districts, according to 
Ell. Collected in St. John's Berkeley also ; Newbern ; Fla. 
Fl. October. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 437 ; U. S. Disp. 679 ; Big. 
Am. Med. Bot. i, 189, An aromatic, moderately stimulant, and 
like other substances of the same class, diaphoretic in warm 
infusion. It is used to allay pain from flatulence, lessen nausea, 
and cover the taste or correct the operation of irritating or un- 
pleasant medicines. Merat states that the infusion is also em- 
ployed as an astringent in dysentery, and in ulceration of the 
intestines. Journal Gen. de Med. xxxvi, 3. When the leaves 
are subjected to distillation a very ai"omatic, volatile oil collects, 
and an essence may be made by dissolving this in proof spirits. 
This will also stop voiniting and correct the taste of medicines, 
even laudanum and castor oil ; Griffith Med. Bot. 397, observes 
that it is valuable in allaying the pain from headache, externally 
applied. It is much used in the Eastern States, and Bigelow 
thinks it will entirely supplant more expensive articles. Ac- 
cording to Pursh, the dried flowers are a pleasant and whole- 
some substitute for tea. 

CANADA GOLDEN-EOD, (Solidago Canadensis, L. Solidago 
procera, Ell.) Margin of fields. Used in Canada as a most 
valuable dye. 

The leaves and flowers of the English species are used for 
making a yellow dye ; said to be as good as woad. Eng. Flora, 
V, iii. Farm. Encyc. Its stalks are numerous, straight, and grow 
almost five feet in height ; they aiford very strong fibres if 
treated in the same manner as hemp. 

NAEEOW LEAF GOLDEN-EOD, (Solidago sempervirens, L.) 
Grows in wet lands ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. September. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 437. Very efficacious in 
the cure of wounds. 

ELECAMPANE; HOESEHEAL; SCABWOET, (Inula he- 
lenium.) Mountains of North Carolina. Chap. Introduced. 

Inuline, a vegetable substance of closely kindred nature to 
starch and dextrine, was discovered by Eose in Elecampane, 



459 

and takes its name from the old botanical designation of that 
plant, (J. helenium.} It is spontaneously deposited from a de- 
coction of the roots of Elecampane, and it constitutes the greater 
part of the solid matter of the tubes, both of the dahlia and 
the Jerusalem artichoke. It is a white powder, and consists 
by analysis of Payen of 46.6 per cent, of carbon, 6.1 of hydrogen 
and 49.3 of oxygen. It is soluble in hot water, being distinct 
from both gum and starch by its insolubility in cold water. 
But when exposed to a temperature of three hundred and seven 
degrees, it completely melts, acquires new properties, and be- 
comes soluble both in cold water and in alcohol. Boussingault 
showed that it is not colored by iodine, while acetic acid, which 
is without action on starch, produces with inuline precisely' the 
same effects as the sulphuric and other acids; finally, diastase, 
whose reaction upon starch is so peculiar, so prompt and so 
powerful, does not cause any change in inuline. It is, there- 
fore, easy to separate these two substances when they are 
mingled, by heating the mixture either with acetic acid, which 
dissolves the inuline. or with diastase, which dissolves the starch. 
I insert the above from Wilson's Eural Cyc. and Boussingault's 
treatise, on account of the interesting nature of the product. 
See, also, works on chemistry. The roots should be dug in 
autumn, and in the second year of their growth, as when older 
they are apt to be stringy and woody. The dried root has a 
very peculiar and agreeable aromatic odor, slightly camphor- 
ous. The taste at first is glutinous and somewhat similar to 
that of rancid soap ; upon chewing it becomes warm, aromatic 
and bitter. In its medicinal properties, elecampane is tonic and 
gently stimulant and resembles calamus. By the ancients used 
in diseases of females; in the United States most!}' confined to 
diseases of the lungs. It has also been extolled when applied 
externally for the cure of itch, tetter and other diseases of the 
skin. Farmer's Encyc. Dose of the powder a scruple to a 
drachm, of the decoction one to two ounces. 

SEA MYRTLE; CONSUMPTION WEED, {Baccharis ha- 
limifolia, L.) Grows along the seacoast ; collected it St. John's, 
where it is found in abundance ; vicinity of Charleston ; New- 
bern. Fl. October. 

Shec. Flora. Carol. 256. This plant is of undoubted value, 
and of very general use in popular practice in South Carolina, 



460 

as a palliative and demulcent in consumption and cough ; 1 have 
frequently seen it used with advantage, and have often lieai'd 
tliose emplo3'ing it confess the benefit derived from it. A strong 
decoction of the root may be drank several times a day. It is 
slightly bitter and mucilaginous to the taste. No analysis has 
yet been made, so far as I can learn. Shecut states that the 
" bark is said to exude a gum so much resembling honey as to 
attract bees in great numbers." This, like many others of our 
indigenous plants possessed of unequivocal utility, is unnoticed 
in the ilispensatories and other works. 

BLACK-KOOT, {Pterocaulon pyaiostaehymn.) Grows abun- 
dantly in dry pine barrens ; collected in St. John's Berkeley. Fl. 
July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, ii, 324. Much use is made of this plant 
in St. John's Berkele3% as an alterative; it is supposed to bo pos- 
sessed of decided value. It is well known as the black-root of 
the negroes. A decoction of the root is given several times a 
day. 

EOSIN WEED, (Silphium laciniatum, L. Qummiferum, Ell.) 
Prairies of Ala.; said to grow in Fla. 

From Dr. H. D. Gai'rison's paper in the Eclectic Med. Eeviow, 
wo learn that this plant is brought forward as a now remedy in 
asthma. It had been used for the heaves or asthma in horses, 
(see the Am. Horse and Cattle Doctor, by Dr. J. H. Dodd.) 
Asthma or heaves in horses is said not to exist in the prairies 
where this plant grows. Dr. King, in the Am. Disp. p. 871, 
ascribes to the «S ptr/oliutum, L., which grows in Ga., tonic, 
diaphoretic and alterative properties, and alludes to its success- 
ful emploj^mcnt in enlarged spleen, liver complaint, miasmatic 
fevers, etc. He recommends both species in " dry obstinate 
coughs." The rosin weed, which is sometimes called the polar 
or compass plant, because its leaves are said to point north and 
south, is said to be powerfully diuretic. An alcoholic fluid 
extract is recommended in doses of twenty to forty drops. The 
dose for a horse is two fluid ounces morning and evening, (Til- 
don's Journ. Mat. Med. Nov., 1867.) 

BUKR; BUI^DOCK, {A'cnit/uiim strumarium, L.) Grows 
abundantly in cultivated lands; collected in St. John's Berkeley; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Richland. Fl. August. 

Mer. and de L, Diet, de M. Med. vi, 970; Dioseoridos, lib. iv, 



401 

133. It has boon UHcd in Rcrofula. The only works in which I 
have heen able to find any account of it are the JJein. Elern. do 
Jiot. iii, 91, where the leaves are said to be antringent, the seeds 
diuretic, and the expressed juice used in affections of the blad- 
der, and as an auxiliary remedy in the treatment of ring-worm ; 
also in Linna;us, Vegetable Mat. Med. 172, according to which 
it is found beneficial in herpes and in erj'sipelas ; hence, we may 
infer that it has at any rate some power as an alterative. Its 
leaves afford a yellow dye. No use is made of it in the South, 
so far as I can ascertain. The plant is considered a nuisance 
by farmers, as the burrs get entangled in the wool of sheep, 
from which they are with difficulty removed. 

Verbesina Virginica, JAnn. Grows along fences ; collected in 
St. John's; Richland District. Fl. July. 

Grifpth Med. Bot. 380. The root, in decoction, is said to be a 
powerful sudorific. 

SPANISH NEEDLES, (Bidem bipinnata, L.) Common. The 
roots and seeds, as well as thone of other species of the same 
genus, have a popular reputation as emmenagogues, and are 
given by the " Eclectics," says Dr. Wood, in laryngial and 
bronchial diseases as expectorants. U. S. Disp. 

IIAG-WEED, (Ambrosia ArtemisiaifoUa, W.) Grows in culti- 
vated lands and pastures; collected in St. John's. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 227. The plant is used in 
fevers in Maryland as a substitute for quinine; a tincture is 
made, or the juice is given with whiskey. It is very bitter 
and is thought to be useful. It is also used by some as a styp- 
tic, as I am informed. 

Ambrosia trijida, Linn. 

Griffith Med. IJot. 387. A plant has been noticed by Dr. 
Eobertson, (Am. Journal Med. Sci. xii, 382, new series,) which 
appears to be this, which is highly beneficial in arresting ex- 
cessive salivation. 

Parthenium integrifolium, L. Dry soils among Mts. Ala. and 
northward. Chap. 

llccommended by Dr. Mason Houlton as a powerful anti-pe- 
riodic. The flowering tops, which have an intensely bitter 
taste are the parts used, and two ounces of them in the dried 
state, given in the form of infusion, are thought by Dr. Iloulton 
to be equivalent to twenty grains of sulphate of quinine. Thirty 



4G2 

succossivo cases of periodic fever were cured by this remedy 
without any unpleasant effect upon the nervous system. Med. 
Exam. N. S. ix, 719; from Memphis Med. Record, and Pharm. 
J. xii, 602; from N. Y. J. Pharm.; U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

EcUpta crecta, Linn. T. and Gray. Eclipta procumbens, Ell. 
Sk. Collected in St. John's; dry soils; vicinity of Charleston. 
Fl. July. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 387. It is said to stain the hair black. 

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, {Helianthus tuberosics.) Cul- 
tivated at the South. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. Supplem. 1846, p. 351. The 
root washed in water and given to animals, will, it is said, pro- 
duce meteorism, ("meteorizations mortelles.") Nouv. Biblioth. 
Med. viii, 426. 

In Patent Office Reports, p. 578, 1848, a paper on the culture 
of the artichoke, translated from the French, is published. This 
contains a full description of its various uses as an article of 
food, etc. I will enumerate some of them : 

The tubers are regarded in Alsatia and near Strasburg, as 
an excellent nutriment for milch cows ; equally good food for 
horses, which are thus kept in a good condition and sustain hard 
labor. With the addition of salt, they are also useful in feeding 
sheep. The tubers compare very well with the potato in the 
amount of dry matter they contain, and its relative value as a 
root-plant used for fodder is maintained. " The stalks are of 
nearly as great use as the tubers; and here is the advantage 
which it has over the potato." Even if the stalk is cut early 
in September, which diminishes the size of the tubers, it is 
compensated for by the supply of green food at that early 
period. According to Schwertz's experiments, one hundred 
kilogrammes of the green stalks equal, as regards nutritious 
qualities, 31.250 kilogrammes of our hay. The stalks of the 
artichoke can be employed even should they be allowed to 
remain till the tubers are ripe, when they are readily eaten by 
all domestic animals. "Finally, the stalks of artichokes have 
for fuel a value which no other pi^oduct of field culture has. 
To pi'epare them for use, they are cut in two and made into 
faggots. This fuel is especially adapted for heating ovens or 
furnaces." 

It bears a great amount of cold. It can be left in the ground 



4G3 

all winter, and does not easily suffer from heat. It is well 
adapted even to dry and poor soils. The article which I con- 
dense contains full information as to the best mode of planting, 
gathering, etc. " Kade, an Alsatian, saw the same soil produce 
every year for thirty years a tolerable crop of stalks and tubers 
of this plant, though it had not for a long time received either 
.culture or manure." Early in April is the best time to plant, 
but even in winter they can be put in the ground. Withered 
tubers may be used as seed if soaked ; but planting of pieces or 
cuttings has not the same success as with the potato. Unless 
the season is too moist the tubers may be left in the ground all 
winter. To preserve them when gathered " it is sufficient to 
make a heap and cover them with earth, for they are not af- 
fected by cold unless when exposed to the open air. The stalks 
intended to serve as fodder in place of hay are cut with a sickle, 
and carefully dried by leaning them up in heaps." M. Vilmerne, 
of the Agricultural Society of Lyons, remarks that the arti- 
choke was known as an esculent plant by the Romans, but neg- 
lected in the dark ages, till it again came into notice in the six- 
teenth century. Almost all parts of this plar)t, he says, may be 
rendered useful. The leaves yield an extract which may be sub- 
stituted for quinine. The leaves themselves may be cooked and 
eaten after the fruit is gathered, or used as fodder mixed with 
certain grasses. They may be substituted for hops in making 
beer, and they contain a great proportion of potash. 

The Jerusalem artichoke contains a very large proportion of 
starch. It is used for making pickles, and eaten as a vegetable. 
It is easily cultivated, gives less trouble than almost any other 
plant, reproduces with scarcely any attention, and is a most 
valuable food for cattle, hogs, etc. See Ure's Dictionary of Arts, 
Manufactures, etc.; Thaer's Science of Agriculture. 

Among our best plants which ma}'^ be cultivated for starch may 
be mentioned the potato, wheat, rice, arrowi'oot, {Maranta aruri- 
dinacea,) corn, etc. For methods, see Ure, and domestic receipt 
books. 

SUNFLOWER, {Helianthus annuus.) Cult. 

Evaporation takes place in plants to an inconceivable degree 
under certain circumstances. It is known by the exj^eriments 
of Dr. Hales that a sunflower plant will lose as much as one 
pound fourteen ounces by perspiration in twelve hours. " Taking 



464 

all things into account, a sunflower perspires seventeen times 
more than a man." 

The French make a moxa out of the pith of the sunflower. 
The English use for this purpose cotton dipped in a solution of 
saltpetre. 

Commander Maur}- recommended the sunflower to be planted 
around exposed residences, as a barrier against malaria. 

The seeds are used for fattening poultry, as they are highly 
nutritious. One hundred pounds of the seed of the sunflower 
arc said to yield forty pounds of oil. The refuse after expres- 
sion furnishes excellent food for cattle. " From the leaves of 
the plant cigars are manufactured, of singular pectoral quali- 
ties. The stalk affords a superior alkali." 

The following I extract from the Farmer's Encyclopoedia: 

"An acre of land will contain twenty -five thourand sunflower 
plants, twelve inches distant from each other. The produce 
will be according to the nature of the soil and mode of cultiva- 
tion ; but the average has been found to be fifty bushels of the 
seed per acre, which will yield fifty gallons of oil. The oil is 
excellent for table use, burning in lamps, and for the manufac- 
ture of soaps. The marc, or refuse of the seeds after the oil 
has been expressed, made into cake, will produce fifteen hun- 
dred pounds, and the stalks when burnt for alkali will give ten 
per cent, of potassa. The green leaves of the sunflower when 
dried and burnt to powder make an excellent fodder for milch 
cows, mixed with bran. From the ease with which sunflowers 
are produced in gardens, (for they seem to flourish in any soil, 
and to require no particular care,) wo may safely say that an 
acre of land will yield a considerable return. Poultry are very 
fond of the seeds." 

The following appeared in the " Atlanta Commonwealth," 
1862: 

" Sunfiower seed and groundnut oil. — The fact has been known 
for some time that the crop of linseed oil was short, and that 
there would, in consequence, be a great scarcity of linseed oil. 
Very naturally those interested began to look around for a sub- 
stitute, and the oils of cotton seed, sunflowers and peanuts have 
been favorably mentioned. How far either will serve as a sub- 
stitute we do not know ; but certainly the oil extracted from 
some one or all of them misrht subserve some useful end. 



4nr) 

" Some yoavH iii^o tlio cnltivjition of the Hiinflower was Htrongly 
ur^ed ill Jiii a^ficulturul periodical lor vai'iouH UHof'iil piirpofleH ; 
firnt, for a l»ee paHture ; Hccondly, the HeedH were goofl for 
poultry, or the niaiiiifacturo of oil ; and then, after the oil was 
expreHwed, to be eonipre.sHed into oil-cake lor cow-food and fat- 
tening hogH; the leaves for fodder and the stalk for wrapping 
paper. In the present condition of the country, these sugges- 
tions may not ho without value. 

"The manufacture of oil from cotton seed, we believe, has 
boon carried on for some time in New Orleans, and the expressed 
seed made into oil-cake for cow-food. We see no reason why 
this oil should not be made in any desirable quantity and with 
gr,eat profit, as well as servo most of the purposes for which 
oil is used." 

Anihcmis. See Maruta. 

WILD CHAMOMILE; MAY-WEED, {Maruta cotula, D. C, 
T. and G. Anthcmis, L. and Ell. Sk.) Crows in dr}' soils; col- 
lected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. 
.luly. 

Ik'rgii, Mat. Med. i, 741 ; Mer. and do L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 
741 ; Ed. and Vav. Mat. M6d. 268; U. S. Disp. 278; Shec. Flora 
Carol. 171 ; (irifflth Mod. Bot. 398. A tonic, diaphoretic and 
emetic; resembling chamomile in its effects, to which it is fully 
ecjual, but more nauseous. It is one of our most useful domestic 
remedies, and is given in numerous diseases. It is also pos- 
sessed of some power as an anti-spasmodic. A decoction acts 
as a sudorific and anodyne, and is given in colds and hysterical 
attacks. Hy Warner's analy^^is (Am. J. Pharm., 1858, .^!)0) it 
contains oxalic and valerianic acid. Merat mentions it as a 
substitute for assafeetida, that it is employed as an anti-hysteric, 
and is recommended in rebellious bilious fever. Dr. Ashby 
speaks of it as a prompt and powerful vesicant when bruised 
and applied to the surface as a poultice. Barton and Rafinesquo 
had conveyed a different impression concerning it. Dr. Ashby 
adds that unlike blisters caused by other vegetable irritants, 
the vesications readily heal. Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. Every 
])art of the plant is fetid and acrid, has minute resinous dots 
upon its surface, and when much handled blisters the skin. 
Eural Cyc. The flowers of the medicinal chamomile are pow- 
30 



4G6 

erfully anti-septic — ono hundred and twenty times superior to 
salt. 

See "Calamus" for Ileberdeii's estimate of the value of 
chamomile in rebellious intermittents. A decoction of the 
leaves of "common chamomile " will destroy all species of in- 
sects, and " nothing contributes so much to the health of a 
garden as these plants dispersed through it." 

I would suggest that the Wild Chamomile, the Milfoil, Tansy, 
{Tanacetinn vulgare,) be sown with cotton alternately or in the 
furrows to prevent the caterpillars. These all possess a pungent 
aromatic oil, and they are more or less noxious to animals, in- 
sects, etc. The Hemp might also prove serviceable. See Can- 
7iabis sativa in this volume. 

MILFOIL ; YARROW, (Achillea millefolium, L.) Grows in 
damp, rich soils; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

U. 8. Disp. 1225, Appendix; Le Mat. Med. ii, 108; Ed. and 
Vav. Mat. Med. 2G7 ; Bergii, Mat. Med. 738; Hoffmann, "De 
Pr»stantia Remed. Domest.;" Matson's Veg. Pract. 299 ; Mer. 
and de L. Diet, de Mat. Med. i, 22 ; Shec. Flora Carol. 91 ; 
Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 253 ; Woodv. Med. Bot. 180. This is an 
astringent; employed in the suppression of hemorrhages. The 
Highlanders made an ointment of it to dry up wounds. Lin- 
nauis informs us that the inhabitants of Deleeai'nia mix it with 
ale in place of hops, and think it imparts to the liquor an intoxi- 
cating qualit}-. Lightfoot's Flora Scotica, 486 ; Thornton's 
Fam. Herb. A tablespoonful of the expressed juice will arrest 
spitting of blood ; and it is also valuable as an astringent in 
dysentery. Dr. Buekwald says he experienced great benefit 
from the plant in the bleeding piles. Stahl boasted of it as a 
specific ; and the great Haller asserts that the infusion, taken 
inwardly, with the outward application of the leaves, cut fine, 
will dissipate dreadful wounds — cicatrizing them rapidly. 
Stahl, Diss, de Therap.; Hoffmann, "De Pra\stant. Remed." 18 ; 
Linnaeus, Flora Shec. 299. Besides the astringent, it possesses 
a mild, anti-spasmodic, tonic power, which renders it beneficial 
in hysterical affections and in leucorrhoea. The flowers are 
stronger than the leaves, being somewhat similar to chamomile, 
and yielding by distillation a small quantity of essential oil of 
a blue color. Dr. Grew says it resembles contrayerva in its 



467 

effects. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. Supplem. 1846, p. 5. 
Sec Analysis in Bull. des. Soi. Med. de Ferus, xxii, 119, and 
xxvi, 253; Soc. de Med. Botaniqiie de Londres, 18.30. It is 
asserted that this plant has a marked tonic power upon the 
bladder ; it is employed in debility of that organ, and is 
especially useful in correcting the involuntary discharge of 
urine in children. A handful of the leaves is infused in a pint 
of boiling water, and three ounces may be taken by an adult 
three times a day. See Culverwell's treatment. It has been 
highly recommended as an emmenagogue, and in painful men- 
struation, in colic, to bring out the eruption in low forms of 
exanthematous fevers and in infantile convulsions. Its virtue 
is no doubt owing to the volatile oil. It contains an acid 
called achilleic acid. Dose of volatile oil, twenty drops. This 
plani, might be found of great service by practitioners residing 
in the country. The leaves of yarrow, or milfoil, are said by 
Johnson, in his Chemistry of Common Life, to "have the 
property of producing intoxication. These are also used in the 
north of Sweden by the Delecarnians to give headiness to their 
beer." 

TANSY, (Tanacetum vulgare, L.) Sparingly nat. in North 
Carolina. Chap. 

The plant emits a strong but not unpleasant odor, and has a 
bitter taste; said to possess tonic, cordial, and anthelmintic 
properties. Eural Cyc. See, also, medical authors. The plant 
yields an oil, and is culinary and medicinal. 

OX-EYED DAISY"; WHITE WEED, {Leucanthemum vul- 
gare, Lam. and T. and G. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, L.) 
Natural. In upper districts; collected in St. John's Berkeley; 
vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 394 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 
271 ; Nouv. Journal de Med. v, 208; Griffith Med. Bot. 387. It 
is vulnerary and detergent. Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 212. In 
Siberia, according to Dr. Rehmann, they employ the plant in 
leucorrhoea. It is not used in this country. Nouv. Journal de 
Med. V, 208. Contraine states that it is a certain safeguard 
against fleas, destroying or driving them off in a short time. 
Bull. Acad. Brux. viii, 234. 

CUD-WEED, {Antennaria margaritacea, E. B. T. and G. 



468 

Gnaphalium margaritaceum, L. Ell. Sk.) Grows among the 
mountains of South Carolina ; vicinit}'' of Charleston. Fl. Sept. 

U. S. Disp. 1258. It is employed in popular practice in dis- 
eases of the chest and bowels, and is externally applied as a 
fomentation to wounds and bruises. Schcepf says it possesses 
anodyne properties. 

CAT-FOOT ; SWEET-SCENTED LIFE-EVEELASTING, 
(^Gnaphalium polycephalum, Mx.) Diffused in upper and lower 
country. Grows in pastures ; collected in St. John's Berkeley ; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. August. 

U. S. Disp. 1258 ; Matson's Veg. Pract. 275. " It probably 
possesses little medicinal virtue." A popular remedy in hemorr- 
hagic affections, and as a fomentation in bruises and languid 
tumors. The infusion is employed by the vegetable practi- 
tioners in fever, influenza, fluor albus, and consumption ; acting 
probably as a warm sudorific. It has a pleasant, aromatic, and 
slightly bitter taste when dry, and the leaves are pleasant when 
chewed. I employed the leaves, flowers and stems largely as a 
substitute for hops whilst in charge of the S. C. Hospital, 
Petersburg, Ya., during the late war, by direction of the Sur- 
geon-General. 

Arnica nudicaulis, BU. Grows in damp, pine barrens ; vicinity 
of Charleston; St. John's Berkeley, S. C; Florida; Richland. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 409. It is supposed that this may be used 
as a substitute for the European species, the A. montana, which 
is well known as a powerful plant, possessing stimulant proper 
ties; directed with peculiar energy to the brain and nervous 
system. It produces an emetic and cathartic effect, and is much 
used by the Germans in paralysis, amaurosis, and other nervous 
diseases. Very useful, also, as a febrifuge, and to relieve pain 
locally applied in the form of tincture. 

RAGWORT, (Senecio aureus, Ell. Sk.) Mountains of South 
Carolina. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 1295. It is said by Schoepf to have been a favorite 
vulnerary with the Indians; the juice of the plant in honey, or 
the seeds in substance, are employed. 

FIREWBBD, {Erecthites hieracifolia, Raf. Senecio hieracifolia, 
L.) Common. 

It possesses a rank odor, and yields its virtues to water. It has 
been particularly recommended in dysentery ; U. S, Disp. 



4G9 

THISTLE, (Cnicus benedictus, T. and G. Centaurea benedicta, 
L.) Nat. along the seacoast, near Beaufort; collected in St. 
John's Berkele}^ ; vicinity of Chai'leston. Fl. August. 

Trous. et Pid. Traite de Therap, etc., i, 253 ; Pe. Mat. Med. 
ii, 408; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 179; U. S. Disp. 196; Le. Mat. 
Med. i, 202; Woodv. Med. Bot. 34, i, 14; Ann. de Therap. 1843, 
206 ; Bergii, Mat. Med. 1, 747 ; Mer and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
ii, 171 ; Thompson's Steam Pract. 

The plant is emetic, tonic and febrifugal; one drachm of the 
powder of the flowers in wine, with a decoction of the leaves, is 
paid to be invaluable in anorexia, weak stomach, impaired by 
irregularities of diet, atony, jaundice and tertian fevers; Thorn. 
Fam. Herbal, 725 ; Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 115. It is used, also, 
in chronic diarrhoea and in gout. Woodv. loc. cit. A decoction 
" possesses marked tonic properties ;" a large dose acting as an 
emetic, and occasioning a plentiful discharge from the cutaneous 
surface. It is employed as a febrifuge, in dyspepsia, pleurisy, 
and chronic peripneumony. Woodville says the extract is 
strongly recommended in the catarrh of children ; the seeds are 
very bitter, and may be used with the same intention as the 
leaves. Rectified spirits extract the virtues of the plant. The 
watery extract appears, also, to possess the emetic principle. 
By keeping, a salt is produced upon the surface resembling 
nitre. See Hist, des Sc. de Berlin, 79 ; and Duncan's Edinb. 
New Dispensatory. 

This plant is intensely bitter, and the opinions I have derived 
from many persons residing in the lower portions of South 
Carolina, particularly in the neighborhood of Summerville, are 
highly favorable to its use as a remedj' in intermittent fever. A 
strong infusion given warm is used to promote perspiration, and 
cold to act as a tonic. 

The plant possesses a peculiar volatile oil and a principle 
called cnicin, and it is stated by Dr. Wood, also, (U. S. Disp.,) 
from the Ann. de Therap. 1843, 206, that in four grain doses it 
produces vomiting, and, in doses of eight grains, that it was 
useful in intermittent fever. It should be experimented with 
more fully by physicians. 

BURDOCK; CLOT BURR; BAT WEED, (Zappa major, 
Gajrt.) Intr. waste places N. C. 

The roots and seeds are officinal ; odor weak, but unpleasant; 



470 

taste mucilaginous and sweetish, with a little bitterness and 
astringency. The roots contain a gummy extractive matter, 
sugar, a large quantity of imdine, some salts, etc. The roots 
are diaphoretic and diuretic, formerly much used in sj^philis, 
rheumatism and gout, its principal power, however, being depu- 
ratory — given like sarsaparilla in diseases of the skin also. 
According to Gmelin, it was employed in hysteria. The seeds 
are said to be more diuretic than the roots, and, according to 
Linnseus, they are purgative. The leaves are applied exter- 
nally in tinea, the decoction being used internally. Baron used 
the juice of the leaves mixed with oil as a favorite application 
to obstinate ulcers. The decoction of the root is made by boil- 
ing two ounces of the recent root with three pints of water 
down to two pints, of which one-half is given daily. Dose of 
the seeds about a drachm ; Griffith. See, also, Gfetner and 
Woodville. A fluid extract, of which a fluid drachm, repre- 
senting eighty grains of the root is the dose, is prepared by Mr. 
T. J. Graham, (Am. J. Pharm., March, I860.) U. S. Disp., note 
to 12th Ed. 

BURR ARTICHOKE, (Cynara scolymus.) Ex. Cult. 

I call attention to this plant, as it grows luxuriantly in the 
Southern States. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, do M. Med. Supplem. 1846, 234. " Dr. 
Montaine, of Lyons, assures us," remarks Merat, "that each 
year he treats with success a large number of fever patients 
with the extract of the leaves in the form of pills." Great use 
is made of it on the plantations in South Carolina as a tonic 
and diuretic in dropsy ; the leaves are steeped in rum, of which 
a wineglassful is administered three times in a day ; I have fre- 
quently seen it prescribed with advantage in this way. It is 
employed also in jaundice, the expressed juice or the infusion 
being used; of the former two or three spoonsful may be given; 
large doses purge. We also use the corollas for curdling milk. 
The modern Arabians consider the root aperient, and class the 
gum among their emetics. Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 284; Ainslie, 
Mat. Med. Ind. i, 22. Dr. Copeman, pharmaceutist to the hos- 
pital at Norfolk, makes a favorable report on the value of the 
leaves in the form of tincture and extract, in rheumatism. See 
London Med. Gazette, 1833, from extracts in Gazette Med. de 
Paris, 13th April, 1833. Dr. Barry first employed the leaves in 



471 

chronic jaundice, and Perroton, of Lyons, also administered it 
frequently in the same disease. Revue Med., Nov., 1845. M. 
Dussauce, in his work on Tanning, 1867, states that the leaves 
are used in the preparation of leather. 

DANDELION, (Taraxacum densleonis, Desf, T. and Gray. 
Leoniodon iaraxacum, Ell. Sk.) Collected in St. John's; I have 
observed it growing in the streets of Charleston and New 
York ; Newbern. 

Waison's Pract. Physic, 39 ; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 184; 
Wilson Philip, Diss. Abdom. Viscera ; Bell's Pract. Diet. M. M. 
445 ; Royle, Mat. Med. 453 ; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 401 ; U. S. Disp. 
706 ; Le. Mat. Med. i, 396 ; Brande, Diet. Mat. Med. and Pharm. 
V, 632 ; AVoodv. Med. Bot. 39, t. 16 ; De Cand. Prodromus, vii, 
45; Ball. Gar. M. M. 319; Bergii, Mat. Med. ii, 687; Mer. and 
de L^ Diet, de Mat. Med. iv, 87 ; English Physician, by Nich. 
Culpepper, gent., " Student in Physic and Astrology," p. 109. 

The root is deobstruent, cathartic and diuretic. " Good in 
obstructions of the viscera, scirrhosites of the liver, stone in the 
gall-bladder, ascites, jaundice," etc. A decoction of the root is 
also useful in impetigo and itch; the doses are one drachm of 
the juice and two ounces of the decoction. Thornton's Fam. 
Herbal. 677 ; Dem. Elem. de Botanique, iii, 169. At Gottingen 
the roots are washed and substituted for coffee by the poorer in- 
habitants ; they say the difterence between this and the im- 
ported article can scarcely be distinguished. It is roasted, 
powdered and prepared in the same manner. Murray's Ap- 
parat. Med. Withering mentions than when a swarm of locusts 
destroyed vegetation on the Isle of Minorca the inhabitants 
subsisted on this plant. The great Boerhaave entertained a fa- 
vorable opinion of it ; and Bergius found it useful in derange- 
ment of the biliary apparatus from gall-stones, etc. Mat. 
Medica. Delius, de taraxaco prtesertim aquje, etc. Dr. Men- 
delstaed cured black jaundice (I'ictere noir) with it. Van 
Swieten, in his Comment., Ziramermann, and Storck spoke of it 
in jaundice and hypochondriacal atfections. Later writers have 
confirmed these opinions expressed by those living at an earlier 
period. 

Dr. Wood, in the U. S. Disp., says that his experience in de- 
rangements of the biliary secretions has been decidedly in its 
favor, it being particularly valuable in chronic hepatitis. Eberle 



472 

recommends it in chronic cases of infantile jaundice : "Diseases 
of Children." Griffith in his Med. Bot. 415, alludes to its use in 
deranged conditions of the digestive organs, connected with an 
abnormal state of the liver, and in dropsical effusions arising 
from the same cause. In habitual costiveness, dependent on a 
want of due biliary secretion, it acts with peculiar benefit ; and, 
as an adjuvant to more active remedies, where the liver is indu- 
rated, it has been prescribed with advantage. It has been em- 
ployed, likewise, in affections of the spleen, uterine obstructions, 
chronic cutaneous disorders, etc. When its diuretic effect is 
desired, it is advised that it be given in combination with super- 
tartrate of potash. This plant is supposed to be possessed of 
valuable properties as an alterative, and much use is made of it 
among patients of a strumous diathesis, and those affected with 
diseases of the skin. I have seen it employed to some extent 
in New York for these purposes, constituting an important in- 
gredient of diet drinks. It may be easily obtained, and might 
be found of much service to practitioners residing in the coun- 
try. The young shoots are eaten as salad. It has been 
observed that the flowers possess a certain degree of sensibility ; 
for when under the influence of the direct rays of the sun on a 
summer morning an evident motion of the filaments is percep- 
tible. See MSS. Lect. of Dr. Hope. I have never been able to 
observe this movement. The plant should be gathered in the 
summer and early in the autumn. An analysis of it is found to 
contain gum, gluten, albumen, an odorous principle, extractive, 
caoutchouc, a peculiar bitter crystallizable principle, by M. PoUex 
who has named it taraxacin, some salts, etc. The decoction 
made with two ounces of the root of a whole plant to two pints 
of water, boiled to one-half, may be given in doses of a wine- 
glassful; of the extract, the dose is ten grains to a half drachm ; 
the latter should be of a brown color, and entirely soluble in 
water. 

The young shoots are edible, and produce in children a diu- 
retic effect. The leaves and roots of this plant ai'e bitter and 
contain a bitter milky juice. I have given the extract largely 
during many years attendance at the Marine and City Hospi- 
tals, Charleston. I ascertain that it certainly produces a laxative 
effect given in from ten to thirty grains — the same, or a much 
larger quantity dissolved in water, proved diuretic. In this way 



47:-} 

I account for the different qualities ascribed to it. There was 
always a tendency to ascribe a power in the dandelion to act 
upon the portal system. " The roots of the plant were esteemed 
to be diuretic, saponaceous and resolvent, and to be powerful 
remedies for removing obstructions of the liver, and of the other 
viscera." Their purified, expressed juice has been given, from 
two to six ounces, twice, thrice, or oftener in the day ; and in- 
fusions and decoctions of the herb and root have been used for 
the same purpose. Boerhaave had such a great opinion of the 
continued use of (he juice, or of the infusions of the plant, that 
he believed they were capable of removing most obstructions of 
the viscera that were to be relieved by medicines. Bergius, 
likewise, as was stated, speaks much in the praise of this simple, 
and says "that he has often seen it prove of service after other 
remedies had failed; and that he had seen hardness of the live?- 
removed by patients eating daily, for some months, of a brolh 
made with dandelion root, the leaves of sorrel and the yolk of 
an egg with water, while they took at the same time cream of 
tartar to keep their bodies open;" and he adds "that he has 
seen a similar course of service in ascites, and in cases of 
gall-stones." (Thornton's Herbal. 677.) The yolk and white 
of raw eggs undoubtedly produce a laxative effect; so does the 
dandelion in the fresh state, or in the form of the extract. It is 
a useful vegetable laxative in place of calomel. 

WILD ENDIVE ; CHICCORY, (Cichorium intybus.) Intro- 
duced. As this plant is cultivated to some extent in the South- 
ern States, and will probably be largely required in the future, 
I insert the following, which I find in Dickens' " Household 
Words :" 

Chiccory is in truth, however, one of the most harmless sub- 
stances that ever has been used for the purpose of the adultera- 
tion of coffee, not excepting even water — as it is obtained in 
London. In the case of all low-priced coffee — of all coffee pur- 
chased b}^ the poor — adulteration with chiccory yields profit to 
the grocer simply because it yields pleasure to the customer. 
Good chiccory and middling coffee dexterously mixed can be 
sold at the price of bad coffee, and will make a beverage at 
least twice as good, and possibly more, certainly not less whole- 
some. Coffee that chiccory would spoil is bought by none of 
the poor, and by a portion only of the middle classes. We do 



474 

not advocate secret adulteration, but we would have the adul- 
teration to be made open, and all people to understand distinctly 
that since chiccory is altogether wholesome, it is a matter that 
depends upon the taste and the pocket whether they will buy 
coflfee pure or mixed. Take away all fraud from the use of 
chiccory, and we shall be glad to see its use fairly promoted. 
Let us look a little more closely into the subject. 

Chiccory is better known to many of us when growing wild 
in many parts of England on dr}-, chalky soils under the name 
of the wild endive ; it belongs to a tribe of composite plants 
called "the Cichoracese," in which are included, also, dandelion 
and the garden lettuce. It shoots above the soil a tuft of 
leaves, and when it runs to flower, sends up a stem from one to 
three feet high, rigid, rough, branched, clothed with leaves and 
blue flowers. It has a long root like that of a carrot, which 
becomes enlarged by proper cultivation, and is the part used 
for the manufacture of a substitute for coff'ee. Every part of 
the plant is perfectly wholesome — the root when fresh is tonic, 
and in large doses slightly aperient. Chiccory is cultivated 
extensivel}" in Belgium, Holland and Germany. It is cultivated 
in France for its leaves, as herbage and pasturage ; in Germany 
and Flanders for its roots. It was first cultivated in England 
about 1780 by the well known agriculturist, Arthur Young. It 
is a most valuable article of farm produce. On blowing, poor 
and sandy land it yields more sheep food than any plant in cul- 
tivation ; it will thrive on fen, and bog, and peat; it is good 
fodder for cattle ; it is good for pigs. It grows only too readily, 
if that can be an objection, for if not carefully extirpated, it is 
apt to become a vivacious weed. For herbage chiccory is sown 
precisely in the same way as clover; for the roots it is sown 
and thinned in the same way as carrots, and taken up, as car- 
rots are, in the first autumn after sowing. 

The great demand for chiccory has led to its very extensive 
cultivation in this country ; considerable sums of money have 
been expended on the kiln and machinery required to prepare 
it for the markets, and a large amount of capital is at the pres- 
ent lime profitably employed upon this new branch of English 
agriculture. It is not unimportant to notice that the cultiva- 
tion of cRiccorj^ requires and remunerates the use of lands 
worth from five pounds to eight pounds per acre ; that so far 



475 

from exhausting the soil, wheat may be grown upon it after 
chiccory with the greatest advantage; that it furnishes occupa- 
tion for a ver}^ large number of laborers, including women and 
children, and at a time of year when the fields afford but little 
other employment; and that, consequently, in some parishes, 
the poor's rate has been diminished by one-half since chiccory 
was introduced. 

The blanched leaves of chiccory are sometimes used as a sub- 
stitute for endive, and are commonly sold as an early salad in 
the Netherlands. If the roots, after being taken up be packed 
in sand, in a dark cellar, with their crowns exposed, they will 
push out shoots, and provide through the winter a very delicate 
blanched salad, known in France as Barbe de Capucin. When 
chiccory is to be used for coffee the roots taken up by the 
growta* ai'e partly dried, and then sold to the manufacturer, by 
whom they are cut into slices, roasted and ground. The ground 
chiccory thus made is used by many poor upon the Continent 
as a substitute for coffee by itself. It has not, of course, the 
true coffee flavor, but it makes a rich and wholesome vegetable 
infusion of a dark color, with a bitterish sweet taste, which 
would probably be preferred by a rude palate to the compara- 
tively thin and weak, and at the same time not very palatable 
infusion of pure coffee of the second or third quality. 

By the combination of a little chiccory with coffee the flavor 
of the coffee is not destroyed, but there is added to the infusion 
a richness of flavor, and a depth of color — a body, which ren- 
ders it to verj^ many people much more welcome as a beverage. 
The cheapness of chiccory enables a grocer, by the combination 
of chiccory powder with good coffee, to sell a compound which 
will yield a cup of infinitely better stuft' than any pure coffee 
that can be had at the same price. Any one with a sensitive 
taste, and a sufficient purse, would of course buy coffee of the 
finest quality, and never think of bettering with chiccory the 
enjoyment of its delicate aroma. The majority of the people, 
however, are b}^ no means in this position. Coftee, with an 
admixture of genuine chiccory, (which we take care to pro- 
cure by purchasing the article in its raw state, and having it 
roasted the same as coffee,) was preferred to coffee in its pure 
state. The reason of this we can clearly understand, and will 
explicitly state. We can afford to sell, and do sell a finer coffee 



476 

when mixed with chiccory than we can sell in its pure state at 
the same price; and the superiority of the coffee in conjunc- 
tion M'ith the fuhiess of the chiccory, in our opinion, decidedly 
gives greater satisfaction to the public. 

It is, however, a rule that will bear harshly on the comforts 
of the poor if coffee is to be sold only in its pure state, and chic- 
cory cannot be obtained in any less quantity than a two-ounce 
packet. Two ounces of chiccory would go in mixture to about 
a pound of coffee, and there are thousands who buy coffee itself 
hy ounces. Moreover, the chiccory coffee sold by the grocer is 
made with coffee of a higher price and better quality than the 
poor man would dare to give for coffee bought pure, when he 
has to make another outlay upon chiccory for mixing. The 
necessit}^ of two purchases would suggest the idea of greater 
cost, lead to a desire for more econoni}^; so in the buying the 
poor man would be a loser. Certainly, also, he would lose by 
having to make at home, in his own clumsy way, the mixture 
which it had been before the interest of the grocer so to pro- 
])ortion that he might bring custom to his shop by issuing an 
article as good and palatable as any that could be contrived by 
his competing neighbors. 

" Of all the plants," saj's Thaer, in his Principles of Agricul- 
ture, "which have been proposed as substitutes for coffee, and 
which when roasted and steeped in boiling water yield an in- 
fusion resembling coffee, chiccory is the only one which has 
maintained its ground. It has been used in this manner for 
thirty years, even when the price of coffee has been low ; and 
has always yielded considerable profits, both to manufacturers 
who prepare it in large quantities and those who cultivate it in 
their neighborhood. It has also been cultivated as a fodder- 
plant, and highly recommended by Arthur Young in England. 
A plentiful supply of fodder is obtained without injury to the 
roots." See Thaer for method of cultivation, etc. 

In Patent Ofiice Eeports, 1854, p. 348, is a brief notice of the 
mode of cultivating chiccory. A variety which the French call 
Chicoree sauvage a cafe, has long fleshy roots like the white 
carrot, which are used for making coffee. "In the Middle and 
Southern States the roots may remain in the ground during 
winter without injury from frost." 

Among the substitutes for coffee employed in the Southern 



477 

States during its great scare! tj^, I may mention rye, raw yam 
potato, cut into small fragments, roasted and parched, okra 
seed, and corn flour parched and ground, cotton seed, the ground- 
nut, Bene, etc., which have all been tried. The okra seed is 
particularly deserving of attention : alone or with a slight ad- 
mixture of coffee it forms an admirable material, the aroma 
resembling that of coffee very closely. It is very probable that 
coffee can and will be cultivated as successfully in Florida as in 
the West Indies. 

WILD LETTUCE, {Lactuca elongata, Muhl, Lactuca longi- 
folia, Mx.) Damp soils; collected in Charleston District; New- 
bern; Fla. Fl. June. 

U. S. Disp. 421; Ann. de Therap. Ann. 1843; Woodv. Med. 
Bot. 75-31 ; see L. virosa, Mer. and de L. Did. de M. Med. iv, 10. 

It ppssesses a milky juice; it is said to act as an anodyne, and 
to produce discharge by the kidneys and skin, being similar in 
its effects to the Jj. virosa of Europe; according to others, it is 
destitute of narcotic power ; see M. Aubergier's experiments. 
It should be examined for the presence of lactucarium, the pro- 
duce of the garden lettuce. 

GALL OF THE EARTH, {Nahalusfraseri, D. C. and T. and 
G. Prenayithes alba, Ell. Sk.) Grows in dan.p pine lands ; collected 
in St. John's; Richland; vicinity of Charleston ; Nevvbern. 

The root is excessively bitter ; it is used in domestic practice 
in South Carolina as a tonic. I would invite further examina- 
tion. Dr. N. J. Pitman, of North Carolina, in a communication 
to Dr. Wood, reports the successful use of the F. serpentaria of 
Pursh, in twelve cases of the bite of the rattlesnake. He gave 
internallj' a decoction of the root. U. S. Disp. 12th Ed. 

.COMMON SOW-THISTLE, (Sonchusoleraceus, Ij.) Diffused; 
collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston; Newbern. Fl. 
July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 439. It is said to be useful 
in stagnation of the portal circulation; according to some, it in 
creases the secretion of milk. Fl. Scotica, 428; Dem. Elem. de' 
Bot. iii, 177. The tender leaves are boiled and eaten in some 
countries as greens ; they are of a cooling nature, are applied 
outwardly as an emollient cataplasm, and are found serviceable 
in inflammatory swellings, carbuncle, etc. The flowers open at 
6, A. M., and close at 12, M. The roots are milky and bitter, 
but have occasionally been converted into bread. Rural Cj'c. 



478 

PLANTAGINACE^E. {The Rib-grass Tribe.) 
The herbage slightly bitter and astringent. 

PLANTAIN, {Plantago major.) Nat. Collected in St. John's 
near the Santee Eiver ; I have also observed it in the streets of 
Charleston ; Richland District ; Newbern. Fl. June. 

Bergii, Mat. Med. i, 71; Le. Mat. Med. ii, 232; U. S. Disp. 
1289, App.; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 135; Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. v, 358 ; Journal Univ. des Sc. Med. xix, 127. 

The leaves, when chewed, tinge the saliva red. This plant 
was a popular vulnerary and astringent once in great repute. 
It was also highly valued for its efficacy in fevers. Bergius, 
however, tested it with unfavorable results. We are informed 
that " the seeds in milk will stop a dysentery." Boerhaave states, 
from his own experience, that the fresh leaves applied to the 
feet will ease the pain and fatigue occasioned by walking, and 
that the whole plant was esteemed useful in healing and con- 
solidating ulcers and recent wounds, and as a dressing for blis- 
ters and sores. The leaves no doubt make a soothing application 
to inflamed surfaces. A decoction of the leaves in milk was 
employed as a gargle in inflammation of the fauces, and a colly- 
rium was made with a decoction of the seeds. Thornton's Fam. 
Ilerb.; Woodv. Med. Bot.; Dem. Elem. de Bot. 85 ; Milne, Ind. 
Bot. 102. It was looked upon as a panacea by the ancients; 
see Pliny, 1. 26, c. 11; Celsus, lib. iii, c. 22; Scultz, Mat. Med. 
i, 112 ; Boyle de XJtil. Phil. Nat. ii, 150; Petzolat, Eph. Nat. cur. 
cen'. vii, Obs. X, 25. It was formerly carried as an amulet, 
'■En fin," remarks Merat, "on a porte la racine des plantains en 
amulet pour guerir ou prevenir une multitude des maladies." 
See the Diet, de M. Med. Supplem. 1846, 567; Kev. Med. Juin, 
1837, 399. Dr. Perret communicated to the Soc. des Sc. Med. 
de Lausanne a report on the beneficial effects derived from the 
root in various maladies : Journal Univ. des Sc. Med. xix, 127 ; 
and Desbois says he has seen the good effect resulting from the 
use of the leaves in scrofulous ulcers and in indolent tumors. 
Mat. Med. ii, 254. The authors of the U. S. Disp., however, 
refer to it as a plant of feeble power, allowing it to be refrige- 
rant, diuretic, deobstrueut, and somewhat asti-ingent. A chem- 
ical analysis would be desirable, as it is probable that a narcotic 
principle exists in it. M. Dussauce, in his Treatise on Tanning 



479 

and Leather Dressing, 1867, cites it among the plants whose 
flowers and flower tops contain tannin. 

EIBWORT; SNAKE PLANTAIN, (Plantago lanceolata, 
Ph.) Grows around Charleston and Savannah ; collected in 
damp meadows in St. John's ; Newbern. Fl. Jnlj*. 

Fl. Scotica, ii, 1089. It possesses properties very similar to 
the above. The Highlanders attribute great virtue to the 
leaves as an ointment for healing up fresh wounds. 

PLUMBAGINACE.E. {The Leadwort Tribe.) 

This order embraces plants possessed of very opposite quali- 
ties ; part are tonic and astringent, and part acrid and caustic 
in the highest degree. 

MARgH EOSEMARY ; INK ROOT, {Statice Umonium, Tor- 
rey. Statice CaroUniana, Walt. Fl. Carol.) Grows on the sea- 
shore. Fl. Sept. 

U. S. Disp. 680; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 251; Coxe, Am. Disp. 
568. This is one of our "most intense and powerful astring- 
ents; much used in New England for all the purposes to 
which catechu and kino are applied. A large dose acts as an 
emetic, and in smaller quantities as a powerful expectorant; it 
also possesses considerable anti-seplic power. Its chief popular 
application is to aphthous and ulcerative affections of the mouth 
and fauces. Dr. Balies, of Massachusets, found it highly ser- 
viceable in cynanche maligna : he used a decoction of the roots 
both internally and locall}-, and these beneficial results have 
been corroborated by others. It is also given with advantage 
in S. anginosa, and in aphthous fever attendant on dysentery, 
where bark is inadmissible. From the experiments of Prof V. 
Mott, in an inaugural thesis spoken favorably of by Dr. Bige- 
low, it proved serviceable in chronic dysentery after the inflam- 
matory symptoms had subsided. From his observations, as 
well as from those of Dr. Edward Parrish, the cold infusion was 
the best form. Dr. P. found it to contain twelve per cent, of 
tannin, also gum, extract, alkali, etc., but no gallic acid. Am. 
Journal Pharm. xiv, 116 ; Griffith Med. Bot. 525 ; Am. Journal 
by John Stearnes, 281; see S. Umonium; Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. vi, 524. It was regarded as an astringent in the 
time of Pliny; lib. xxvi, 28. The root is employed in infusion, 



480 

decoction, or tincture. Alcohol is a better solvent of the prop- 
erties of the root than water. The infusion with cold water is 
preferable to that with hot. According to Dr. Parrish, the roots 
of this plant contain tweve per cent, of tannin. M. Dussauce's 
Treatise on Tanning, p. 78, 1867. It also contains caoutchouc. 

Plumbago scandens, L. So. Fla. Chap. 

This plant, a native of the W, Indies and So. America, is ex- 
tremely active, and is known in the French Islands under the 
name " herbe du diable." Pison speaks of it as a good emetic 
in cases of the ingestion of poisons; but, according to Descour- 
tilz, it is too energetic to be given with impunity. Flor. Med. 
Autill. iii, 94. Brown also speaks of it as extremely corrosive, 
Hort. Jour, ii, 235 ; Griffith. 

EHKETIACE.E. 

TURNSOLE, {HeUotropium Indicum.) Michaux found it at 
the Eutaw battle-ground, St. John's Berkeley; and Mr. Oemler 
in the Dutch Fork, in Richland District. Fl. July. ' 

Ell. Bot.; Mer. and de L. Diet, do M. Med. iii, 462. It has 
been employed in the cure of headache. See Walkenaer, " Yoy- 
age," xii, 469. It is used in Guinea and in India. The juice is 
applied to eruptive surfaces, opthalmias, etc. Ainslie, Mat. Med. 
Ind. ii, 414. Rottboll, after Sprengel, says it is a vulnerary, 
employed in some countries to arrest flooding. Hist, de la Med. 
iv, 467; Abbet, Guyane, i, 117. 

BORAGINACE.E. {The Borage Tribe.) 

Characterized by soft, mucilaginous, and emollient properties. 
Some are said to contain nitre, a proof of which is shown by 
their frequent decrepitation when thrown on the fire. Lindley. 

BASTARD ALKANET, (Lithospermum arvense, L.) Intro- 
duced. Waste places, Florida and northward. 

Wilson states that the red bark of the root stains paper, linen, 
oily substances, and the human skin ; and that it is sometimes 
used as a rustic substitute for rouge, and as a coloring matter of 
ointments. Rural Cj'c. 

HOUND'S TONGUE ; WILD COMFREY, (Cynoglossum am- 
plexicaide, Mx. Cynoglossum Virginicmn, L.) Grows in shady 
spots ; Richland and Charleston Districts. Fl. June. 



481 

The root is raucilai^inous, and much employed in domestic 
practice for complaints of the lungs, and externally for poul- 
tices in sprains, bruises, etc. Farmer's Encyc. 

Shee. Flora Carol. 489, According to Clayton, the root is 
astringent, and is administered in diarrhoea. The leaves intoxi- 
cate when smoked as tobacco. According to Griffith, it is stated 
that the root may be used as a substitute for comfrey. Med. 
Bot. 500. 

HOUND'S TONGUE, {Cynoglossum officinale, L.) Intro- 
duced. Waste grounds; North Carolina and northward. 
Chapman. 

The leaves, when touched, emit a pungent and disagreeable 
odor, like that of mice in a trap. It is supposed to be narcotic, 
demulcent and astringent, being most active in the recent state ; 
but aiithoritics disagree in their statements, some ascribing 
poisonous properties to the leaves. Griffith thinks it is probably 
unjustly neglected. The plant is eaten by goats, but is dis- 
liked by all other domestic animals. Its roots have asti'ingent 
and narcotic properties — regarded as anti-scorbutic. Wilson's 
Kural Cyc. 

Mertensia Virginica, D. C. Pulmonaria, L. Eiver banks and 
mountain streams ; S. C. to Tenn. and northward. 

Said to be astringent and demulcent, (Eiddoll,) and is much 
used in some parts of the country in catarrhs and other diseases 
of the respiratory organs ; Griffith. 

LAMIACE^ OR LABIATE. {The Mint Tribe.) 
These do not contain a single unwholesome or even sus- 
picious species ; their tonic, cordial and stomachic qualities are 
due, according to Lindley, to the presence of an aromatic, vola- 
tile oil, and a bitter principle. 

AMERICAN SPEARxMINT; MINT, {Mentha viridis, L. 
M. tenuis, Mx.) Cult. 

It is an anti-spasmodic, with a bitter, aromatic taste ; con- 
tains a volatile oil, much used as a flavoring ingredient, and is 
said by Culpepper to be also an aphrodisiac. English Physi- 
cian, by Nich. Culpepper, gent., "Student of Physic and 
Astrology," p. 214. It is considered by the steam and vegeta- 
ble practitioners a specific in allaying nausea and vomiting. 
Thompson's Practice, and Matson's Veg. Pract. 286. 
31 



482 

PEPPEEMINT, (Mentha piperita, L.) Introduced. 

We have also the round-leaved mint, (M. rotund if olia.) — intro- 
duced, and often used as a substitute for the above. 

They abound in resinous dots, which contain an essential oil. 
The pleasant, aromatic, stimulant, and anti-spasmodic proper- 
ties of these labiate plants are well known. They flourish 
within the Southern States, and the essence and mint water can 
be extracted in any quantity. See "Gilseminum" and " Sesa- 
mum " for extraction of essences, oils, etc. Immense planta- 
tions of Peppermint for the production of the oil exists, says 
Parrish in his Pract. Pharmacy, in St. Joseph's County, in the 
southern part of Michigan, and in Ohio and Western New York. 
These are estimated to comprise an area exceeding 3,000 acres, 
and to yield in oil of Peppermint over $63,000 per annum. For 
an account by F. Stearnes, see Proc. Am. Pharm. Assoc, 1858. 
In Patent OflSce Eeports, 1854, the mode of culture of a number 
of medicinal herbs is described, particularly the aromatic plants, 
viz : sage, mint, rosemary, mustard, etc., pp. 367 to 380. Nearly 
all the native and introduced plants containinjr aromatic oils 
can be raised at the South in suflScient quantities to supply all 
demands. An establishment such as that at New Lebanon, 
New York, and at other localities, for the cultivation of medi- 
cinal and useful plants on an extensive scale, should now re- 
ceive consideration. See my paper in De Bow's Review, 
August, 1861. 

BALM, {Melissa officinalis.) Introduced. 

The balm, sage, mint, and other aromatic plants, for the most 
part cultivated in our gardens, need scarcely more than a refer- 
ence. The melissa is cultivated for bees. The reader is re- 
ferred to an article on " Secretion in plants," in Wilson's Cyc, 
showing the deposits of aromatic and other properties at the 
base of plants, with the theories of De Candolle, Macaire and 
others. 

WATER HOREHOUND ; GIPSY WORT, {Lycopus Euro- 
pens, Eat. M. Lycopus angustifolius and Lycopus sinuatus, Ell. 
Sk.) Nat. in damp soils ; collected in St. John's Berkeley ; 
vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 25; U. S. Disp. 437; Mer. and de L. 
Diet, de M. Med. ii, 168; Matson's Yeg. Pract. 250; Milne, Ind. 
Bot. 34. This is reputed to give an indelible stain to whatever 



483 

it touches. Hoffmann says the gypsies use it to disguise them- 
selves. It has been highly spoken of on the Continent of 
Europe in intermittent fevers; Prof. E,e, of Turin, declares that 
in doses of two drachms of the dried plant the most obstinate 
intermittents were removed. Broffiero says it is astringent. 
See letter (in French) on the properties of L. Europeus in allay- 
ing fever. Dr. Bi'offiero's note in the Eepertorio Medico Chi- 
rurg. 832, and Griffith's Med. Bot. 505. It is employed by the 
vegetable practitioners in diarrhoea, atonic conditions of the 
digestive organs, and as a cleansing wash for sores. I would 
invite attention to this and the following, which are easil}^ ob- 
tained. Mills states that the juice gives a fixed black dye. 

BUGLE-WEED; VIRGINIAN LYCOPUS, {Lycopus Vir- 
ginicus, Mich.) Diffused ; collected in St. John's ; vicinity of 
Charleston ; Richland District. Fl. August. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 168. It has been admin- 
istered internally with great success in hemorrhage and htemop- 
tysis; and in phthisis it lessens the force of the circulation. In 
the diseases first mentioned, Dr. Silliman verifies the results ob- 
tained by Linstey — twenty persons having tried it with benefit 
in internal hemorrhage. Drs. Porter and Winkoop also report 
cases in which they have employed it with success. See Jour- 
nal des Sc. Med. 154. According to Dr. Ives, of New Haven, it 
is a mild narcotic. Drs. Pendleton and Rogers, of New York, 
obtained favorable effects from it in incipient phthisis and hem- 
orrhage from the lungs. See New York Med. and Phys. Jour- 
nal, i, 179 ; U. S. Disp. 436 ; Raf Med. Fl. 11. As a direct seda- 
tive, it is useful in diminishing the frequency of the pulse, 
quieting irritation and allaying cough. Practitioners, observes 
Griffith, (Med. Bot. 505,) are unanimous in declaring that it is 
an important addition to the Mat. Med. It appears to act like 
digitalis in abating the frequency of the pulse ; its use, however, 
not being attended with the disagreeable symptoms sometimes 
accompanying the employment of the latter. An infusion may 
be given ad libitum, made with one ounce of the herb macerated 
in a pint of boiling water. See, also. Trans. Am. Med. Assoc, 
i, 347. It imparts a black color to linen, woollen and silk. This 
plant grows abundantly in the lower country of South Caro- 
lina, and its power as a sedative should be examined into. 

CANCER- WEED, (Salvia lyrata, L.) Grows in shady, rich 



484 

lands; collected in St. John's Berkeley; vicinity of Charleston ; 
Eichland District ; Newbern. Fl. June. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 31. " The fresh radical leaves of the 
plants, when bruised and applied to warts, generally destroy 
them ;" continue the application for a day or two, and renew it 
every twelve hours. The leaves of the Hieracium gronovii are 
also applied in this way. 

EATTLESNAKE WEED; HAWK-WEED; BLOOD-WOKT, 
{Hieracium venosiim, L.) Upper districts. 

This plant enjoys the greatest reputation as an antidote for 
the bite of snakes. The case is related by Dr. Harlan of a 
person who allowed himself to be bitten by a rattlesnake, the 
bite from which subsequently killed a puppy, and he was com- 
pletely revived after taking a few ounces of the decoction of 
this plant. See Eolation in the 3d vol. Tr. Am. Phil. Soc. U. S. 
Griffith, Pursh. Fl. ii, 499, and Tech. Eepos. ii, 258. Used, also,' 
as an astringent and expectorant in spitting of blood and 
chronic catarrhs. The dose of the infusion, made with two 
ounces of the leaves and roots to a pint of water, is a wine- 
glassful. 

SAGE, (Salvia officinalis, Ex.) Cult. 

Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 268 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M.Med, 
vi, 191. This is a warm aromatic, and, according to the experi- 
ments of Ellinger, is possessed of marked anti-spasmodic power: 
it strengthens the circulatory, cutaneous and digestive func- 
tions ; stimulates the action of the nerves, and has a decided 
effect upon the cephalic organs, (see Merat and authors ;) pre- 
scribed as a stomachic, and in catarrhal and cellular infiltration, 
and used as a gargle in mucous angina and fungous ulcers. 
"Our moriaiur homo cui salvia crescit in horto ?" became an adage, 
so much confidence was formerly reposed in the plant. Its 
reputation is most extensive in domestic practice, the warm in- 
fusions being given as a sudorific, and in promoting the mens- 
trual discharge. The plant is said to have great power in 
resisting the putrefaction of animal substances. Van Swieten, 
Com. ii, 370; Woodv. Med. Bot. It is thought to have a 
remarkable efficacy in stopping night sweats, infused in wine 
or spirits, and this opinion was sustained by Quarin, Methodus 
Medend. 37. Baron Van Swieten also found it efficacious in 
restraining the inordinate flow of milk after weaning children. 



485 

In the English Physician, p. 295, the quaint author, Nich. Cul- 
pepper, gent., "Student in Physic and Astrology," mentions it 
as an aphrodisiac : " Helpeth conception and hinders miscar- 
riage." "Jupiter claims this, and bids me tell you it is good 
for the liver and to breed blood I" The essential oil deposits 
camphor in abundance, hence employed as a friction in rheuma- 
tism, paralysis, etc. Journal de Pharm. xvi, 574. 
I introduce the following on the cultivation of 
Sage. — The cultivation of this herb is among the most profit- 
able of the market gardener's products. Large quantities of 
it are sold while green during the season, as every housekeeper 
uses it in the cooking of game, or water-fowl, and it is essential 
as a component of sausages, so that tons of it are used in the 
winter season. At the price it is usually retailed in the markets 
of our larger cities, an acre of sage plants will yield a return of 
ovei;, seven hundred dollars ; and at the wholesale price, it will 
give a return of over three hundred dollars to the acre. The 
seed can be had of most seedsmen. It should be sown in any 
light, loamy soil, covered about half an inch deep; and when the 
plants are about two inches high, should be picked out and re- 
planted at distances of about one foot each way. As soon as it 
has grown so as to begin to show forms of flower buds, cut it off" 
to within two inches of the ground, and so on, again and again, 
throughout the season. If planted on land thoroughly drained 
the plant will stand many years ; but plants not over two years 
old produce the best flavored leaves. 

DOTTED MONAEDA; HORSEMINT ; ORIGANUM, {Mo- 

narda punctata, L.) Grows in rich and damp soils ; collected in 
St. John's, where it is found abundantly; vicinity of Charleston ; 
Richland District ; Spartanburg. Fl. August. 

Chap. Therap. and Mat. Med. ii, 302; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 30 ; 
U. S. Disp. 462; Am. Med. Record, ii, 496 ; Ball, and Gar. Mat.' 
Med. 360 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv,444; Bull des Sci. 
Med. de Ferus, xi, 302. This is another of our very aromatic 
indigenous plants, possessing stimulant and carminative powers 
and regarded as a very popular emmenagogue among those re- 
siding in this country. The French authorities speak favorably 
of it ; an aromatic oil is obtained from this ; and the infusion of 
the leaves, recent or dried, is very efiicient in allaying nausea 



486 

and vomiting in bilious fevers. Dr. Chapman mentions eases of 
long standing deafness cured by the oil rubbed on the head as a 
counter-irritant. It was used in cases of this description, and in 
many diseases, by Dr. Atlee, of Philadelphia; see his essay ; 
among other affections in hemiplegia and paralytic diseases, in 
the sinking state of epidemic typhus, in cholera infantum, 
where there is prostration of strength, and in mania a potu ; 
sometimes employing a liniment, (see Chap, Therap. and Mat. 
Med. ii, 305;) and sometimes the undiluted oil rubbed on the 
parts. The oil is of an amber color approaching to red, and if 
exposed to a great degree of heat, leaves a beautiful straw- 
colored camphor! 

THYME, (^Thymus vulgaris.) Ex. Cultivated at the South. 
A well known warm aromatic. 

GEAVBL EOOT; HORSEWEED ; KNOTWEED, {Collin- 
sonia Canadensis.) G-rows in the mountains of the Carolinas. 
Fl. September. 

The root is used in colic from lochial discharge. Linn. Veg. 
M. Med. 9. "The infusion of the bruised root in cider cured 
several alarming cases of dropsy." Shec, Flora Carol. 482, and 
Mease's Domestic Encyc. ii, 177. Dr. Wood saj^s it possesses 
tonic, astringent, diuretic and diaphoretic powers ; the root in 
substance, even in small doses, is said to irritate the stomach, 
and produces vomiting ; the active principle is volatile, so that 
it is best employed in the fresh state. The decoction is eflfica- 
cious in catarrh of the bladder, leucorrhoea, gravel, dropsy, etc., 
and as a cataplasm to internal abdominal pains. U. S. Disp., 
1248. Merat says. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 364, that in America it 
merits the name all heal, (guerit tout,) having the properties re- 
ferred to above. Drs. A. French and Beers speak highly of it 
in pains of the bladder, in ascites, and dropsy of the ovaries ; 
given, also, as a powerful tonic in putrid and malignant fevers, 
and in leucorrhoea ; the contused leaves are applied to bruises, 
lividities, (les 7neurtrisseurs,) pains in the stomach, and as an ap- 
plication to eruptions produced by the poisonous sumachs. (See 
Rhus.) The plant, by chemical analysis, contains tannin, gallic 
acid, extractive matter, and a coloring principle. Op. cit. See, 
also, Ann. de la Soc. Linn, de Paris, v. 508. In his late work, 
Griffith (Med. Bot. 513) states that externally it has been era- 
ployed as a friction in rheumatism. See account of it by Dr. 



487 

Hooker, of New Haven, Ann. Linn. Soe. Dr. H, thinks the 
infusion should be made with a gentle heat, in a close vessel. 
The best preparation is supposed to be the essential oil, which 
is said to be an excellent tonic, given with benefit in low fevers, 
exhaustion of the forces, etc. This plant certainly merits fur- 
ther notice. 

Collinsonia anisata. Griffith's Med. Bot. 515. 

It possesses an odor somewhat similar to that of aniseseed, 
having the properties of the C. Canaden. 

EOIFGH-LEAVED COLLINSONIA, (Collinsonia scabra.) 
Collected in St. John's, in shaded soils. Fl. June. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 364. It is possessed of 
properties similar to those of the C. Canaden. Tonic, astrin- 
gent and diuretic. See C. Canaden. 

DITTANY; MAKYLAND CUNILA, {CunUa mariana, Mx.) 
Grows in the mountains of South Carolina ; Richland ; I find it 
abundant in Spartanburg District, S. C. 

Bart. M. Bot. ii, 175 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 517 ; 
Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 276 ; Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 127. The in- 
fusion foi'ms a pleasant and refreshing drink ; it is diaphoretic, 
and is employed in fevers and colds. A gentleman in Spartan- 
burg District, S. C, tells me that in his day "everybody cured 
everything with dittany." Doubtless they took less mercury 
and drastic purgatives in consequence. 

PENNYROYAL ; TICKWEED, (Eedeoma pulegioides, Pursh.) 
Grows in the upper districts, and among the mountains of the 
Carolinas; abundant in Spartanburg, S. C. 

U. S. Disp. 365 ; Bart. M. Bot. ii, 165 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. 276, 
and Flora Med. 491 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 508; Raf Med. Fl. i, 
231 ; Bart. Veg. Mat. Med. ii, 165. A gently stimulant aro- 
matic, given in flatulent colic, and sick stomach ; also as a 
stimulant diaphoretic in catarrhs and rheumatism. The warm 
infusion is a convenient and useful prescription, which is largely 
employed in popular practice in promoting the menstrual dis- 
charge. It is said that the plant, or the oil extracted from it, 
is an effectual remedy against the attacks of ticks, fleas and 
mosquitoes. 

HEAL-ALL, (Prunella vulgaris.} Grows in dry soils; col- 
lected in St. John's. Fl. July. 

Le. M. Med. ii, 245; Med. Diet, by Carr, art. Brunella ; U. S. 



■488 

Disp. 1291 ; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 276 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, 
de M. Med. v, 520, This plant, though possessing some power 
as a stimulant, has fallen into disrepute. It was also used as an 
asti'ingent in affections of the throat. 

MAD-DOG SCULLCAP ; HOODWOET, (Scutellaria lateri- 
flora.) Grows along ditches ; Eichland ; collected in St. John's; 
Elliott says it is found in the mountainous districts. 

Watson's Pract. Physic, 386; U. S. Disp. 1294, Appendix; 
Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 274; Bulletin de la Faculte, 
vii, 191, ann. 1820, where Spalding's (of Geo.) report concerning 
its anti-hydrophobic virtues is referred to. Youatt spoke in 
favorable terms of this remedy as enjoying the reputation for 
some time of being the only one for this disease. See Watson, 
loc. cit. 

The above meagre account was all that I eould collect with 
reference to this plant when the first edition of this work was 
prepared. To show the increased attention which it has re- 
ceived I add the following contained in the 12th Ed. of the U. 
S. Disp. 

It is thought by some practitioners to have valuable thera- 
peutic properties. Drs. Ariel Hunt.on and C. H. Cleveland, of 
Vermont, speak in strong terms of its efficacy as a nervine. 
They have employed it in neuralgic and convulsive affections, 
chorea, delirium tremens and nervous exhaustion from fatigue 
or over excitement, and have found it highly advantageous. 
Dr. Cleveland says that he prefers it to all other nervines or 
anti-spasmodics except where an immediate effect is desirable. 
He prefers the form of infusion, which he prepares by adding 
half an ounce of the dried leaves to a tea cupful of water, and 
allows the patient to drink ad libitum, (Am. J. Phai'm., xxiii, 
370; N. Jersey Med. Eeport, v, 13.) Two preparations are 
now used, scutellarine, though erroneously, adds Dr. Wood, as it 
has no claim to be considered a true proximate principle ; the 
other a fluid extract. Dr. C. gives the scutellarine in a dose 
varying from one to three or four grains and finds very happy 
effects from it in quieting nervous disorders, (N. Jersey Med. 
Report, viii, 121.) The fluid extract prepared by Messrs. Tilden 
is used in the dose of one or two fluid drachms. Dr. Jos. Bates 
speaks highly of it as a nervine, (Bost. Med. and Surg. Journal 
lii, 337 ;) U. S. Disp. 



489 

BUEOPEAN SCULLCAP, {Scutellaria galericulata, L.) 
"Wot places, N. C. and northward. 

It has been employed in intermittents. Dr. H. W. Evans, of 
Canada West, uses an infusion of two ounces of the herb to 
eight of water, of which he gives in epilepsy a fluid ounce 
every eight hours, doubling the quantity after a week. To 
effect a cure he says it must be continued for six months, (Am. 
J. Med. Sc. xvii, 495 ;) U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

Scutellaria iyitegrifolia, L. Diffused in swampy soils ; collected 
in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. June. 

Intensely bitter, probably useful as a tonic. U. S. Disp. 1294. 

CATNIP; CATMINT, (Nepeta cataria, lb.) Nat. in upper 
districts; collected also in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. 
Fl. July. 

Le. Mat. Med. ii, 130; U. S. Disp. 191; Ed. and Vav. Mat. 
Med. 216; Bergii, Mat. Med. ii, 540; Mer. and de L. Diet, de 
M. Med. iv, 592; Dem. Blem. de Bot. 248; Am. Herbal. 26. 
This plant is possessed of stimulant, tonic and warm aromatic 
virtues. Employed in popular practice in colds, asthma, ame- 
norrhoe"a, chlorosis, hysteria and the flatulent colic of infants; 
in the latter condition this herb is universally employed. It 
was used in yellow fever, and, like many others, enjoyed an 
ephemeral reputation as a remedy in hydrophobia. An infusion 
of the flowers was said to open obstructions of the liver and 
spleen. In the Supplement to the Diet. Univ. de M. Med. 1846, 
509, it is stated that Dr. Gustamachia had used the JV. cataria 
with great advantage in toothache, caused by cold or carious 
bone, mashing the leaves in the decayed tooth ; this produces 
an abundant flow of saliva, and causes the pain to cease in a 
few moments. See, also, Journal de Chim. Med. vii, 2d series. 
The dose of the powder is a drachm and a half This plant is 
used by the vegetable practitioners. Cats roll in it with the 
same avidity that they do in valerian, and cover it with their 
urine. 

Dracocephalum variegatum. Vent. Grows in inundated swamps ; 
roots frequently immersed. Collected in St. John's; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 682. The organization of 
the peduncle is peculiar. See observations on certain phe- 
nomena attending the plant called the D. Americanum. Acad. 



490 

des. Sci. 276, 1702. It is supposed to possess a "cataleptic 
powers." "Pourvues de cette siuguliere faculte," namely : "la 
propriete, de la cataleptique, c'est-adire, do garder la position 
dans laquelle on place la fleui*." Siipplomen. to Diet. Univ. do 
M. Med. 252, 1846. 

Dracocephalum Virginianmn, L. Grows in the mountains of 
the Carolinas. 

Its propei'ties are similar to those possessed by the preceding. 

MOTHEEWOET, (Lconorus cardiaca, L.) Nat. Grows 
around buildings; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 

"The leaves are deobstruent, laxative, diaphoretic, emmena- 
gogue, anti-hysteric and anthelmintic." Am. Herbal. 230; Linn. 
Veg. M. Med. 168. L. states that the herb, drunk as a tea, is 
useful in hysteria and hypochondriacal affections. Griffith, in 
his work on Med. Bot. 515, supposes it to be tonic, and to 
relieve palpitation of the heart. It is extolled in Eussia as a 
preservative against hj'drophobia. In the " Indian Materia 
Medica" it is stated thai " an infusion of the plant is a stimu- 
lant, cordial bitter, and when taken at bedtime it procures a 
quiet, refreshing sleep, even where opium and laudanum have 
failed." It is probably useful as an ingredient tor a soothing 
tea. See Linden, ^'Tilia." 

HOEEIIOUND, (Mannbium vulgare.) Ex. Nat. 

Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 284; Watson's Pract. Physic, 
118 and 332; Ed. and Yav. Mat. Med. 273; Trons. et Pid. Mat. 
Med.; Traite de Therap. 308; Eoyle, Mat. Med. 470; Le. Mat. 
Med. ii, 89; U.S. Disp. 452; Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 358; 
Matson's Veg. Pract.; CuUen, Mat. Med. ii, 154 ; Bergii, Mat. 
Med. ii, 558; Woodv. Med. Bot. In the United States, it is 
used only as a warm, aromatic stimulant. The leaves ai*e tonic 
and somewhat laxative, and are employed in colds, asthma, hys- 
teria and menorrhagic diseases. The warm infusion acts as a 
sudorific, and is applicable as a palliative in phthisis and pneu- 
monia, but it is not allowed the possession of any very decided 
powers. In the Supplem., however, to the Diet. Univ. de M. 
Med. 457, 1846, it is said to be certainly useful in chronic rheu- 
matism, one ounce and a half of the infusion being given morn- 
ing and evening. See, also, the Journal des Connaissances 
Medic. Dec. 10, 1836. Ferreiu notices the root as an excellent 
vermifuge. Mat. Med. i, 279, iii, 312; and Desbois de Eochefort 



491 

H'dyH the decoction of three or four ounceB is a good remedy in 
tape-worrn. Dr. Cutler anserted that the infuHion wan a very 
UHelui application in salivation. Am. Herbal, by J. Stearnn, 
LL.D. Griffith states that obstinate catarrhs are much bene- 
fited by the expressed juice taken in milk. Dose, one drachm 
of the powder, or one ounce to two ounces of the infusion made 
with an ounce of the dried herb to one pint of boiling water. 
From this plant it is well known the candy so much used in 
pectoral affections is made. 

The horehound has a bitter taste and an aromatic odor. "It 
possesses tonic, diuretic and laxative properties, and it seems to 
owe all its powers to a bitter extractive, a volatile oil and gallic 
acid." Used in coughs, colds, asthma, etc., on account of the 
combination of moderate qualities just described. From the 
very fact of its simplicity, I consider it one of the very best 
remedies for infants and children suffering with colds and 
cough?. Given during the day with opiates, and nitre at night, 
it restores appetite through its bitter principle, it is expectorant 
and diuretic, and thus removes the slight remains of cold and 
fever so frequent with children. If the iavor is a prominent 
symptom ipecacuanha should also be used. Besides, it may per- 
form a most important role in taking the place of more active 
and injurious drugs. 1 know of no better remedy for colds and 
coughs than the juice or tea of horehound sweetened and given 
during the day. 

VERBP:NACEJ-:. (The Vervain Tribe.) 

FRENCH MULBERRY, (Callicarpa Americana, Mx.) Col- 
lected in St. John's, in dry soils; vicinity of Charleston ; Rich- 
land District; Newbern. 

Drayton's View of S. C. 62. This is said to be useful in drop- 
sical complaints. It bears very pretty red berries, growing in 
whorls around the stem, which are slightly sweetish to the taste. 
I could not extract much coloring matter from their skins with 
vinegar or alum. 

NETTLE-LEAF VERVAIN, (Verbena urticifolia, L.j Com- 
mon in damp soils; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Chailes- 
ton. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 1304. Boiled in milk and water, and combined 
with the inner bark of the white oak, it is advantageously used 



492 

in poisoning from the sumachs, (Bhus.) Mer. and de L. Diet, do 
M. Med. vi, 8GS; Journal de Med. Ixx, 529. 

VERVAIN; SIxMPLEU'S JOY, (Verbena ha$tada,Jj.) Mid 
die districts of South Carolina, and in Georgia; vicinity of 
Charleston ; Newborn. Fl. Aug. 

U. S. Disp. 1304. This is more bitter than the European 
species, and it is said to be emetic. This plant is described by 
the " Cherokee Physician " as an emetic inferior to the " Indian 
Physic ;" a decoction of the dry or green herb "or a powder is 
prescribed like lobelia. A decoction of the root is used to check 
fevers when given in the early stage. The plant should be ex- 
amined. 

Verbena aubletia, L. Grows in the middle districts of South 
Carolina and in Georgia. Fl. Sept. 

Mer and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 865. It is said to contain 
a very acrid mucilage. Die. des. Sci. Nat. x, 426. 

PEDALIACE.E. (The Oil Seed Tribe.) 

BENE, (Sesamum Indicum., Sesamum Orientale.) Introduced 
by the Africans. Fl. July. 

This is the Sesame of the Anabasis, mentioned also by Dios- 
corides, Theophrastus and others. The seeds contain an abun- 
dance of fixed oil as tasteless as olive, and for which it ma}^ be 
substituted ; it is said to be used extensively in Egypt and 
Arabia. Lind. Nat. Syst. 280; U.S. Disp. 661. Morat says that 
in Egypt they drink large quantities of the oil morning and 
evening, to give them embonpoint. It is also used medicinally as 
a laxative, and is by some preferred to castor oil ; also as an ap- 
plication to furfuraceous eruptions. In India it is regarded as 
an emmenagogue and as provocative of abortion ; employed in 
cutaneous aifections and ophthalmia; a solutionis given in colic 
and dysentery, and used as an application for softening the 
skin. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 832, and the Snp- 
plem. 1846, 657, according to which it is also becoming an 
object of considerable commercial importance, being substituted 
for olive oil in the manufacture of Marseilles soap. See Essay 
of M. Hardy, Eevue Agricole, Avril. 1845, 177. In the Trans. 
Phil. Soc, it is said that one hundred parts of the seed yield 
ninety of oil. Coxe, Am. Disp., art. Sesam. orient., states that 



493 

it was found beneficial in a dysentery which prevailed in 1803. 
1 have Hoon it ^iveri to n^jma extent, and with great advantage, 
in New York, in diarrhoja and dyscjntery, particularly in these 
affections as they occur in children ; two or three of the leaves, 
thrown in water, arc sufficient to render it very mucilaginous. 
This is taken internally. It also serves as a convenient vehicle 
for enemata, gargles, collyria, etc. In South Carolina the seeds 
are largely used by the negroes in making broths. They are 
also eaten parched, and are often candied with sugar or mo- 
lasses. It might be made a source of profit to raise the plant in 
the Southern States, as it grows well and the seeds bring a high 
price. 

The above was contained in my report on the Med. Bot. of 
South Carolina, published in 1849. 

The oil pressed from the seed will keep many years without 
acquiring any rancid taste, but in two years becomes quite mild, 
so that'the warm taste of the oil when first drawn is worn off, 
and it can be used for salads and all the ordinary purposes of 
sweet oil. In some countries it is used for frying fish, as a 
varnish, and for some medicinal purposes. Nine pounds of seed 
are said to yield upward of two pounds of fine oil. The oil 
may be extracted by bruising the seed and immersing them in 
hot water, when the oil rises on the surface and may be 
skimmed off. But the usual mode of extraction is similar to 
that practiced in the expression of linseed oil. The plant is 
generally sowed in drills about four feet apart, in the month of 
April. Am. Farm. Encyc. I consider, after examination, that 
the sassafras leaf contains more mucilage than the Bene, and 
that both should be gathered and cured for winter use in 
making mucilaginous teas to be used in dysenteries, pulmonary 
diseases, etc. 

From a statement of H. M. Bry, of Louisiana, P. O. Rep. 
1854, p. 225, sixteen bushels of seed of Bene plant (S. orientale) 
was sent to a mill in Cincinnati to be manufactured into oil. It 
yielded thirty-nine gallons of clear oil and about five quarts of 
refuse oil, or about two and a half gallons to the bushel. In 
consequence of the mill imparting the flavor of flaxseed he 
could not use it as a salad oil, for which purpose he was confi- 
dent it would be superior, when pure, to the adulterated im- 
ported olive oil. It was used, however, as a substitute for 



494 

ca8tor oil. All who used it praised it for its gently purgative 
eflfect, and because it Avas free from the "nauseous taste peculiar 
lo castor oil. Twenty bushels is believed to be a moderate esti- 
mate of the amount of the seed produced by an acre. It yields 
a gallon of oil to the bushel more than flaxseed. 

The excellent effect of the leaves steeped in water as a mu- 
cilage to be used in diarrhoea and dysentery is testified to by all 
persons who have used it. For this purpose two or three 
loaves are soaked in a tumbler of water and administered re- 
peatedly. This plant will act as a substitute for gum-arabic 
on account of the mucilage it yields. It should be used in the 
bowel affections of children and among soldiers in camp. 
Planters should collect and cure all the leaves at their disposal. 
At page 338 of the same volume another paper on the Bene is 
to be found. It is there stated that the plant will throw out a 
profusion of leaves by breaking off the top when it is half 
grown. The cotton seed also yields a mucilaginous tea, useful 
as a substitute for flaxseed. 

Nelson quotes Miller on the Bene, as cultivated by the Afri- 
can negroes in South Carolina : " The inhabitants of that 
country make an oil from the seed which will keep many years 
and not take any rancid smell or taste, but in two years be- 
comes quite mild; so that when the warm taste of the seed 
which is in the oil, when first drawn, is worn off, they use it as 
a salad oil and for all the purposes of sweet oil. The seed are 
also used by the negroes for food — which seed they parch over 
the fire and then mix with water and stew other ingredients 
with them, which makes a hearty food." Eural Cyc. Mr. 
Carlisle ascertained from the Gi-azette of 1735 that Mr. 
Garcia established the manufacture of this oil in Charleston 
as a salad oil ; his death in 1738 put an end to the enterprise. 

The seeds of the Bene, the myrtle, and the tallow tree, with 
the fruit of the groundnut, (Arachis,) might afford useful mate- 
rial to the soap manufacturers within the Southern States. I 
will insert here what I have upon the oleiferous plants most 
useful to us in the present exigency. In Boussingault's treatise 
on the subject of oils, pages 135 and 139, he says : 

" The following sums may be taken as a pretty accurate esti- 
mate of the average quantity of oil yielded by the different 
oleaginous seeds : colewort, winter rape, and other specimens of 



495 

cruciferous plants, from 30 to 36 and 40 per cent.; sunflower 
about 15 per cent.; linseed (flax) from 11 to 22; poppy from 34 
to 63; hemp-seed from 14 to 26; olives from 9 to 11; walnuts 
40 to 70 ; Brazil nuts 60 ; castor oil beans 62 ; sweet almonds 
40 to 54 ; bitter almonds 25 to 46 ; Modiva sativa 26 to 28 per 
cent." I would refer the reader to a more extensive table than 
this in lire's Dictionary of Arts. I have little doubt that the 
Chinese tallow tree, {Stillingia sebifera,) introduced and growing 
around Charleston, is richer than any above mentioned. Hick- 
ory nuts, when bearing abundantly, broken and thrown in a 
vessel of boiling water, would no doubt yield oil abundantly 
and cheaply for soap. I have, however, upon experiment, found 
it diflicult to extract the oil. 

The plants most commonly cultivated for the production of 
oil belong to the genus Brassica ; all plants of this genus pro- 
duce seeds containing considerable quantities of oil, and are 
sometifties used for obtaining it. All the species are biennial, 
save the spring colza, or field cabbage, {Brassica campestris.) It 
is not, as some suppose, a degenerated variety of autumnal rape 
or cole seed, but really a distinct species. "Tbaer's Principle 
of Agriculture," p. 449. In the description by this author of 
colza and rape, (autumnal varieties,) he lays great stress upon 
the great value of the colza, {Brassica oleracea lacineata, a 
variety of the garden cabbage,) as perhaps one of the most 
abundant in the oil it gives out. The rape, a variety of the 
Brassica napus, is less productive. The colza (Brassica campes- 
tris) requires a dry soil. I introduce this information here 
because the plant might be cultivated to great advantage at the 
South for supplying oil, and because Thaer adds at the conclu- 
sion of his paper that the seeds of the ruta baga, or Swedish 
turnip, which is already grown extensively here, are equally 
rich in oil. For the method of culture and gathering, see 
Thaer's work, published in New York, 1857. It is also an excel- 
lent forage plant. The seed does not mature well in this lati- 
tude. The oil is obtained by a press or oil mill. Even the 
spring rape {Brassica campestris) yields more than twenty pounds 
of oil per bushel. Mr. Sanders informs me that the rape is 
grown and produces well in Clarendon District, S. C, and that 
it will produce seed. 

I would particularly advise the extensive introduction and 



496 

cultivation of the rape, both because it grows and matures 
well, and because of the amount of oil the seeds afford, which 
would supply whatever is necessary in making soap, (for pro 
cesses, see lire's " Dictionary of Arts and Manufactures,") and 
also because it would allow the Southern planter to devote the 
tallow, grease, etc, which has been economized for this purpose, 
to other objects. The Bene probably yields as much oil as any 
plant we possess, as I am informed by a practical gardener. 
See, also, flaxseed, Chinese tallow tree, etc. 

Mustard seed oil concretes when cooled a little below 32" 
Fah. The white or yellow seed (Ure's Dictionary of Arts and 
Sciences, p. 285) afford thirty-six per cent, of oil, and the black 
seed eighteen per cent. I would refer the inquirer to Ure's Dic- 
tionary for paper on the subject of the oils, mode of obtaining, 
etc.; and to Kurten's work on the "Art of manufacturing 
Soaps, including the most recent discoveries — with receipts for 
making camphene oil, candles, etc. Phil.: Lindsay & Blakiston, 
1854." This treatise gives very plain directions concerning the 
articles necessary. 

In Ure's Dictionary a plan of an oil mill is given, and infor- 
mation on "seed crushing " and extraction of all oils. He says 
that the oil of colza is obtained from the seeds of the Brassica 
campestris to the amount of thirty-nine per cent, of their 
weight. "It forms an excellent lamp oil, and is much em- 
ployed in France." Hemp-seed oil resembles the preceding, 
but has a disagreeable smell and a mouldish taste. It is used 
extensively for making both soaps and varnishes. Linseed oil 
is obtained in greatest purity by cold pressure, but by a steam 
heat of 200° Fahr. a very good oil may be procured in larger 
quantity. " The proportion of oil," Ure adds, " usually stated 
by authors is twenty-two per cent, of the weight of the seed, 
but Mr. Blundell informs me that by his plan of hydraulic 
pressure he obtained from twenty-six to twenty-seven." In 
the Encyc. Metropolitana, under " Oil-press," a quarter of seed 
(whose average weight is four hundred pounds) is said to yield 
twenty gallons of oil. Now, as the gallon of linseed oil weighs 
9.3 pounds, the total product will be one hundred and eighty- 
six pounds, which amounts to more than forty-five per cent., an 
extravagant statement, about double the ordinary product in 
oil mills, etc., etc. When kept long cool, in a cask partly open, 



497 

it deposits masses of white stearin e along witii a bi-ownish 
powder. This stearine is very difficult of saponification. The 
reader is referred to the last paragraph of p. 297 of Ure's Dic- 
tionary, vol. ii, and all of p. 298, ending at word "Dutch plan," 
p. 299 ; and on the subject of oils, soap, candles, starch and 
sugar, I would refer to the same work, where many of the best 
processes ai*e described. 

Chaptal, in his Chemistry applied to Agriculture, makes the 
following practical remarks on oils: " The oils are fat, unctuous 
bodies, of various degrees of fluidity, insoluble in water, form- 
ing soap with the alkalies, and burning and evaporating at 
different temperatures. It is the last characteristic particularly 
which establishes that difference among them by which they 
are divided into fixed and volatile oils. The fixed oils are con- 
tained in seeds and fruits, from which they are extracted by 
pressure. The first portion which is expressed is the purest, 
and is'known by the name of virgin oil; that which follows is 
rendered more or less impure by the mixture of other princi- 
ples contained in the fruit submitted to compression. It is par- 
ticularly by the mucilage, which is found in greater or less 
quantity in all vegetables, that the purity of oil is affected. 
After all the oil which can be extracted by pressure has been 
drawn off, it is customary to moisten the mash with boiling 
water and to subject it to another and more powerful pressure; 
but the oil thus obtained carries with it a large portion of 
mucilage, and is usually employed only in some of the trades. 
In some countries it is customary to collect the fruits into heaps 
and to subject them to a degree of fermentation before press- 
ure; by this means the extraction of the oil is rendered easier 
and the quantity of it is increased, but the quality of it is 
much injured. Similar results are obtained by breaking the 
fruit previous to expressing the oil. It would be hardly right 
to condemn these last methods as erroneous, because in the 
numerous soap-works, dye-houses, cloth manufactories, etc., 
this quality of oil is preferred to that which is purer. The 
learned will do well to condemn the processes now employed 
for procuring the fine oils, and to present others by which we 
may obtain them purer and of a better taste ; but the grand 
consumption of the oils is in the manufactories, and there the 
fine oils would but imperfectly replace those of a coarser kind; 
32 



498 

thus, by perfecting the produce the usefulness of it would be 
lessened. When oil is to be extracted for domestic purposes it 
is without doubt desirable that it be obtained as pure as possi- 
ble, but that which is destined to be employed in the trades 
and in manufactures, as in that of soaps for example, is the 
better for being combined with a portion of mucilage. The 
great art of manufacturing consists in appropriating the pro- 
ducts to the wants and tastes of consumers. When mucilage 
is so abundant in an oily seed that it yields upon expression 
only a pasty combination of mucilage and oil, the seed is dried 
by fire ; when the mucilage is thus deprived of fluidity the oil 
flows oif pure. In this manner the seeds of flax, of poppies, of 
henbane, etc., are prepared for expression. Nearly all the oils 
are colored, and contain some of the principles of the fruits 
from which they are procured ; these are in some of their 
efi'ects injurious to the oil, and great pains have been taken to 
find some means of freeing it from them. Oil is clarified to a 
certain degree merely by standing in a cool place in open 
earthen vessels ; it forms a deposit, and is thus rendered purer, 
clearer and better. If oil is exposed to the sun it gradually 
loses its color. In order to clarify the oil of mustard one per 
cent, of sulphuric acid is put into a large earthen pan into 
which the oil is thrown and carefully stirred ; the oil becomes 
green, and upon being allowed to remain at rest forms upon 
the sides and bottom of the pan a blackish deposit, which is 
principally composed of carbon ; the process must be repeated 
after a few days if the oil has not acquired the wished for clear- 
ness. But before using the oil it is necessary that it be allowed 
to remain for some time undisturbed. In this operation the 
mucilage appears to be precipitated and consumed by the acid. 
Most fixed oils contain some mucilage, and most of them be- 
come rancid. 

" Most fixed oils have but in a very slight degree the property 
of drying, but some of them acquire it by being combined with 
some metallic oxide, and this greatly increases the use of them, 
as they can in this way be employed as varnishes for covering 
bodies which it is necessary to preserve from air and water, or 
as the recipents of colors to be used in painting upon cloth, 
wood or metal. The best drying oils are those of flaxseed, 
nuts and poppies. Linseed oil will dissolve at boiling tempera- 



499 

ture one-quarter of its weight of that oxide of lead known in 
commerce by the name of litharge. It becomes brown in pro- 
portion as the oxide is dissolved ; when saturated with the oxide 
it thickens by cooling, and it is necessary to render it liquid by 
heat at the time of using it. In consequence of the numerous 
purposes to which the fixed oils are applied the consumption of 
them is immense; they form the basis of the soaps, both soft 
and hard, according as they are combined with potash or soda ; 
they are used to fix in the most durable manner upon cotton 
the colors obtained from madder ; they are employed to facili- 
tate the operations in all establishments for carding and spin- 
ning wool. It is by the use of oil that the play of all machinery 
is rendered more regular and easy, and that friction is mod- 
erated, and by it metals are preserved from rusting. The most 
important use to which oil has been applied is that of lighting 
buildings, the defects of the light being remedied by argands 
and other lamps which aid in the consumption of the carbon 
by admitting more air to the wick. 

" The volatile oils do not belong exclusively to any one part 
of plants ; in some, as in the Bohemian angelica, the oil is dis- 
tributed throughout the whole plant ; sometimes, as in balm, 
mint and wormwood, it is found in the leaves and stalks ; the 
elecampane, Florence iris and bennet contain it in their roots ; 
thyme and rosemary in their leaves and flower buds ; lavender 
and the rose in their calyces ; chamomile, lemon and orange 
plants in their flowers ; the petals and the rind of the fruit of 
the two last abound in oil; that of the indigo and fennel is 
contained in vessels forming the raised lines which may be per- 
ceived on the bark. Volatile oils vary in color, consistency and 
weight ; there are some, as those of sassafras and the clove, for 
instance, which are heavier than water; and there are some, as 
those of the rose and parsley, that remain in a concrete state 
at the usual temperature of the air, etc. 

" The volatile oils are extracted either b}' distillation or ex- 
pression. When the oil is contained in vesicles upon the surface 
of the rind, as in those of the lemon and bergamot, the cells 
may be broken and the oil caused to flow out by merely rubbing 
the rinds together ; or the rinds may be taken off by grating, 
and the oil separated from the pulp by a light pressure, or by 
allowing the whole to remain undisturbed for a few days, when 



500 

the pulp will settle at the bottom and the oil remain floating 
above it. When these rinds are scraped with a bit of sugar, 
the oil combines with it, forming an oleosaccharum, useful in 
giving a pleasant flavor to liquors." 

Count Chaptal gives this simple process for extraction of oils : 
" With the exception of the oils of which I have just spoken, 
all the volatile oils are extracted by distillation ; in this process 
the plant is put into the boiler of the alembic and covered with 
water ; when the water boils the oil rises with the steam, and 
is condensed with that in the worm of the still, whence they 
flow together into the receiver ; the oil which swims upon the 
top is separated from the water, and this water, which has a 
milky appearance, is again employed from preference in new 
distillations. It is customary to make use of a narrow straight- 
necked vessel as a receiver; the oil collects in the upper part 
of this, while the water passes off through a siphon in the side 
about four inches below the neck. In the south of Europe 
where great quantities of the volatile oils are prepared, the dis- 
tillers place their portable apparatus in the open air, in those 
places which offer a plentiful harvest of aromatic plants ; when 
these are exhausted they remove elsewhere. 

" The aromatic oils are employed particularly as perfumes, 
and for this purpose are often combined with other substances. 
They are likewise used in the manufacture of varnishes, from 
the readiness with which they dissolve colors, and fi'om their 
quick evaporation after being applied." 

At Cannes, in the south of France, I have witnessed the 
operations for extraction of essence of roses, which are planted 
in great abundance. On the plantations in South Carolina rose- 
water is distilled from the petals of the sweet rose by a simple 
process. M. Dussauce, chemist to Tilden & Co.'s establishment 
at N. Lebanon, N. Y., has published, 1868, a Practical Work on 
the Manufacture of Perfumery, Oils, etc. 

BIGNONIACE^. {The Trumpet-flower Tribe.) 

TEUMPET FLOWEE, {Bignonia cnicigera, Walt., N. A. F. 
Bignonia capreolata, L. and Ell. Sk.) Eich, shaded soils; col- 
lected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. March. 

Shec. Flora Carol. 278. See B. cnicigera, Walt. The root 



501 

and vine, in infusion or decoction, answer the purpose of sarsa- 
parilla. It is detergent and alterative, aperient, diuretic and 
sudorific, used in syphilis, chronic rheumatism, and in de- 
rangements arising from impurities of the blood. The pith is 
said to be divided longitudinally into four equal parts, so that 
when the stem is cut transversely it exhibits the appearance of 
a cross, and hence Walter's name. This vine ajjpears to be 
possessed of instinct j it shoots up to the highest tops of trees 
before sending out a branch. 

CATALPA, {Catalpa bignonioides, Walt. Bignonia catalpa, 
Mx. Catalpa cordifoUa, Ell. Sk.) Grows in the upper and lower 
country of South Carolina ; collected in St. John's. Fl. May. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. Supplem. 1846, 107. The 
physicians at Naples, after the favorable report of Thunberg 
and Ksempher, as well as those of Brera, have given incontesta- 
ble evidence of the advantages resulting from its use in asthma. 
The decoction of the fruit is also employed. See Gazette Medi- 
cale, 8, 1834 ; Journal de Chim. Med. x, 164. Ksempher says 
he also applied the leaves, which are emollient and anodyne, to 
the painful part. A decoction of the pods has been recom- 
mended in pectoral complaints, and the dried seeds smoked like 
tobacco, have proved useful in asthma. The bark is said to be 
vermifuge and the wood emetic. Griffith. Poultry are said to 
thrive on and to be fond of the seeds. The timber makes dura- 
ble posts. The honey collected from the flowers is somewhat 
poisonous — resembling, though less active, that collected from 
the yellow jessamine ; and an unpleasant and poisonous gas is 
said to be emitted from the wounded bark. 

YELLOW JESSAMINE, (Gelseminum sempervirens, Juss.) 
Grows in swamps ; diff'used through the alluvial regions. It is 
observed that it is gradually gaining ground in the upper 
country. I have noticed it just beyond Columbia, and near 
Norfolk, Va. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 312; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 490. 
" Possessed of narcotic peoperties to a very considerable de- 
gree." A spirituous tincture of the root is used with success in 
rheumatism. It is also employed in gonorrhoea ; ninety drops 
of the bark of the root in tincture, taken in three doses, produce 
vertigo, perverted vision, etc. Its marked efffect on the nervous 
system has been repeatedly observed. It also acts as an arte- 



502 

rial sedative without producing nausea or purgation, and 
though causing insensibility to pain, when taken in large doses, 
it does not induce stupor or delirium. 

The root of the jessamine has been much more freely used 
since the publication of my report on the Med. Bot. of South 
Carolina, made to the Am. Med. Association, 1849. Special 
articles can be found descriptive of its uses in the Charleston 
Medical Journal. Dr. Mayes, of South Carolina, has contributed 
one of these, March, 1857. Dr. Nash, of Norfolk, has also used 
it in many cases of fever with the most desirable results. Four 
ounces of the fresh root are added by Dr. Mayes to one pint of 
diluted alcohol ; dose, twenty to fifty drops repeated every two 
or three houi-s. Drs. Ford and White used the tincture of the 
root as they did that of the Veratrum viride in yellow fever, for 
its depressing influence upon the circulation ; see Ch. Journal. 
Many employ the tincture of the root in fevers; it acts in a 
manner similar to digitalis and V. viride, with the addition of 
some narcotic property. It has to be used with caution on 
these accounts, and because it induces delirium in overdose. 
Stille's Therap. and Dunglisou's New Kemedies may be con- 
sulted. My venerable friend. Dr. John Douglass, of Chester, S. 
C, writes me that he has used it repeatedly with advantage in 
gonorrhoea; see his letter published in Ch. Med. Journal. The 
tincture forms a valuable ingredient in cough mixtures, particu- 
larly in those cases where a nervous sedative is required. It 
has been repeatedly prescribed in these cases by Dr. O. A. 
White and others during the war. Dr. Edward Porcher, of Mars 
Bluff, S. C, prescribes the tincture in doses of twenty drops 
with much success in neuralgia. 

In the Med. Press, and Circular, 1867, Dr. E. P. Davis, of Vir- 
ginia, reports two cases of poisoning by overdoses of the fluid 
extract of gelseminum ; one died two hours and a half after 
taking the poison, having had widely dilated pupils, spasmodic 
breathing, a cold and congested surface, pulse almost impercep- 
tible, and being totally unconscious. The other a gentleman 
who had also taken about a tablespoonful of Tilden's ex- 
tract, had an emetic administered to him more promptly and 
recovered. The emetic was followed by one drachm of quinine 
in four ounces of wine. When first seen this patient was found 
in the following condition : He was lying on his left side, face 



503 

somewhat congested, pupils dilated but responding to the 
different degrees of light, eye-lids half closed with apparent in- 
ability to move them, and lower jaw drooping, and his tongue, 
to use his own expression, so thick that he could hardly speak ; 
his skin was warm and moist, pulse small and feeble, and res- 
piration somewhat diminished in number. He had neither 
purging nor vomiting. Dr. Parker gave quinine, and in a large 
dose, because it was a cerebral stimulant, and he thinks it was 
useful because the patient had taken the Gelseminum nearly ten 
hours before he took the emetic, giving the system time to 
come under its influence. 

The tincture or extract of this plant would, no doubt, be 
found useful in most cases of fever and inflammations, to reduce 
arterial action. In Tilden's Jour, of Mat. Med. July, 1867, 
Dr. E.. W. Slaughter communicates the following antidote : "A 
gentleman who had resided in Brazil, where the natives use the 
gelseiftinum as a specific for fever, asserts that the symptoms 
caused by an overdose will immediately pass off if a teaspoonful 
or two of the expressed juice of the Thuja occidentalism arbor- 
vitae, be given." 

In reply to some queries addressed to Dr. J. A. Mayes, of 6. 
C, 1868, who has extensively used the Veratrum and Gelsemi- 
num, I received the following statements : 

" I used the gelseminum in form of tincture very much as a 
sedative to an excited nervous system, and locally for relief of 
neuralgia, in situations where it could be properly applied. 

" For trismus nascentium, I found the tincture of gelseminum 
more successful than any remedy I ever used. I never lost a 
case in which it was freely used. Had a case of tetanus been 
met, I should have prescribed it with much confidence. For the 
former, I gave it in doses of three drops every half hour or an 
hour, according to the frequency of the spasms, and continued 
it with gradually lengthening intervals until the spasms ceased 
altogether. For tetanus I had long made up my mind to test 
it fairly by giving thirty to fifty drops every hour, until blind- 
ness was superinduced, hoping to see the disease overcome 
when the system was fairly saturated with the gelseminum. 

"A poultice, made by boiling a quantity of gelseminum roots 
until a strong decoction was obtained, and then adding corn 
meal to give it consistency, applied warm to acute, painful 



504 

swellings, to the jaws for neuralgia or rheumatic toothache, and 
for various local pains, was found, during the war, to be a valu- 
able substitute for opiate applications. I have seen very great 
relief obtained in a few minutes in severe neuralgic pains of the 
side of the face." 

For reference to authorities see U. S. Disp., 12th Ed.; Charles- 
ton Med. Jour. March, 1854, and xii, 180 ; also an abstract of 
the various papers by Dr. J. Bell, in N. Am. Med. Chir. Eev. 
September^ 1858. 

■ The active principle, gelseminine, is much used latterly by a 
school of practitioners at the North and West, with other sub- 
stances of similar nomenclature. 

I give the following statement of the method of extracting 
the perfumed oil of flowers, as it may enable those living where 
the jessamine, rose, violet and other flowers bloom in such 
abundance, to prepare it : " The essence of rose, of jessamine, 
violet, etc., are possessed of a more feeble odor, and being 
obtained frcrm the flowers of their respective plants, require 
much care in their preparation. This is done by spreading 
upon white wool, impregnated with olive oil, the petals of the 
flowers, and leaving them for some time covered over with a 
woollen cloth, upon which flowers are also scattered. The 
flowers are renewed from time to time, until the olive oil em- 
ployed appears to be saturated with the oil of the flowers, when 
this last is separated by digesting the wool in alcohol." Wil- 
son's Rural Cyc; consult, also, Ure's Dictionary of Arts, and 
Chaptal's Chemistry applied to Agriculture ; also Bene {Sesa- 
mutii) in this volume. I have seen in the south of France young 
girls manufacturing the essences of rose and orange flowers. 
Our Southern matrons do not lack jessamine flowei's or rose 
petals for making perfumes, essences, rose-water, etc. 

YALERIANACE^. {Valerian Tribe.') 

Valeriana scandens, L. East Florida. Chap. 

We have also V. pauciflora, Mx. Growing on mountains of 
Tennessee. They should be examined on account of their re- 
lations with the officinal valerian, and as nervous stimulants. 

ACANTHACE^. {The Justicia Tribe.) 

Buellia strepens, L. Grows in pine barrens ; collected in St. 
John's ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 



505 

Ainslie, ii, 153 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 285. The leaves are 
said to be subacrid. 

OEOBANCHACE^. (T/ie Broom-rape Tribe.) 

SQUAW-ROOT; CANCER-ROOT; BROOM-RAPE, {Oro- 
hanche unifora, L.) Grows in pine barrens in the middle dis- 
tricts. 

TJ. S. Disp. 1282. It is said to possess properties similar to 
the following : 

BEECH-DROP, {Orohanche Yirginiana, L. Epiphegns Aweri- 
mna, Nuttall.) Grows on beech trees exclusively; vicinity of 
Charleston; Newbern. Fl. August. 

U. ^ Disp. 128. It has a bitter, nauseous, astringent taste, 
diminished by drying; it is given^internally in bowel affections. 
Dr. Barton thought it was one of the ingredients of a secret 
remedy for cancer, known as Martin's cancer powder. This is 
supposed to possess some of the powerful astringency belong- 
ing to the 0. major. Michaux says that in Virginia they use 
the powder in inveterate ulcers and cancers. Lind. Nat. Syst. 
288; Bart. Med. Bot. ii, 38; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
iv, 102. 

Orobanche Americana, L. Collected in St. John's in rich soils; 
vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 

This has been also used as a remedy in carcinomatous affec- 
tions, ulcers, etc. 

SCROPHULARIACE^. {The Figwort Tribe.) 

Generally acrid and bitterish, sometimes dangerous in their 
properties. 

MULLEIN, {Verbascum thapsus, Walt.) Diffused ; grows in 
pastures, upper and lower districts. Fl. July. 

Le. Mat. Med. ii, 446 ; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 295 ; U. S. Disp. 735 ; 
Watson's Pract. Physic,, 202 ; Royle, Mat. Med. 493; Journal de 
Ghim. Med. ii, 223 ; Home, Clin. Experiments and Hist.; Bergii, 
Mat. Med. i, 118 ; Mer. and de L. Diet. de. M. Med. vi, 864 ; Bull, 
des Sc. Med. de Ferus, xvi, 341. The leaves of the flowers con- 
tain a narcotic principle ; a decoction of the flowers and leaves 
as tea, is beneficial in dysentery and tenesmus; it calms pain in 
the fundament caused by hemorrhoids; and it is used in the 



506 

convulsions of infants, in ardoi* urin®, and wherever the indica- 
tion is to moderate spasm or irritation. A large quantity of 
the flowers will even induce sleep, so active is the narcotic 
principle it contains. Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, 135 ; Milne, Ind. 
Bot. 293. The leaves of mullein, wai'med and applied to the 
feet, have given relief to those affected with gout ; and the dis- 
tilled water of the flowers has been used effectually in diseases 
of the skin ; Merat says in erysipelas and colics. Scopoli re- 
lates that in Carolina mullein is esteemed valuable in the pul- 
monary complaints affecting cattle, (hence called cow's lung- 
wort.) " The roots, both recent and dried, have the property 
of fattening poultry, even to obesity." Thornton's Fam. Her- 
bal. 238. It is useful in stopping or diminishing diarrhoeas of 
long standing, and often in easing pain of the intestines, which 
is accounted for by the anodyne, emollient and gently astringent 
qualities of the plant. Woodv. Med. Bot. ii, 343. Linnaeus 
states, in his Veg. Mat. Med. 31, that fish will become so stupe- 
fied by eating the seeds as to allow themselves to be taken. 
See, also, the ^sculus pavia, which possesses similar powers. 
Dr. Wood refers to its value in pectoral diseases, coughs, etc. 
U. S. Disp. 736. The leaves, steeped in hot water, are applied 
externally as a feebly anodyne emollient dressing for sores, for 
the relief of headache and frontal pains, used as an injection in 
tenesmus and applied locally in pains, and are much used b}' 
the poorer class. An ointment may be made by boiling the 
leaves in lard. A friend informs mo that the mullein leaves 
dried and smoked as tobacco relieve asthmatic paroxysms, 
which is not unlikeh' in view of their narcotic properties. 
The down serves for tinder; no animal will eat it. Equal parts 
of mullein leaves and the bark of the root of sassafras boiled 
in water and concentrated, then mixed with powdered sassafras 
bark to form pills, arc reputed valuable in the treatment of 
agues by the herbalists. See " Indian Guide to Health." 

Surg. Hinckley has reported several cases in which the par- 
oxysms of intermittent fever were completely prevented by the 
administration of the warm infusion of the fresh root. Four 
ounces of the fresh root to one pint of water reduced one-half 
by boiling, of which two ounces were given every hour, com- 
mencing four hours previous to the expected chill. Confed. S. 
Med. J., January, 1864. Dr. K. R. Newkirk, of N. Jersey, in- 



507 

formed Prof. Wood that he had found the smoking of dried 
mullein leaves useful in aphonia from irritation of the larynx. 
Taken internally, the dose is four ounces, one ounce of the 
leaves being added to one pint of water. It would be desira- 
ble to obtain an analysis of this plant, and it should be more 
carefully examined. 

Verbascum lychnitis, L. Grows in South Carolina, according 
to Dr. Muhlenberg. FI. July. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot.; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 863. 
The root has been used in jaundice. Durand gave an extract of 
the leaves in this disease, in pectoral affections, and in colics ; 
no doubt beneficial, from its sharing the possession of the nar- 
cotic principle ascribed to the V. thapsus. 

Griffith states that the flowers are said to destroy mice. 
Med. Bot. 517. 

MOyH MULLEIN, (Verbascum blattaria.) Grows abun- 
dantly, according to Elliott, in the middle and upper districts ; 
sparingly in the lower ; collected in St. John's, at the Big 
Camp, on the Santee Canal. Fl. March. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 863. 

FIGWOET, (Scrophularia nodosa, Linn. Prodrom. Scroph- 
ularia Marylandica, Ell. Sk.) Vicinity of Charleston. 

The leaves have a rank fetid smell, and a disagreeable, bitter 
taste. The root has also a nauseous odor. They yield their 
properties to water and alcohol, and contain a bitter resin, an 
extractive having the odor of benzoic acid, with gum, starch, 
inuline, etc. Pereira, ii, 306 ; Griffith Med. Bot. 518. It is vul- 
nerary and soothing, when applied as a poultice to ulcers, burns, 
piles, itch, etc. An ointment of the leaves was officinal in the 
Dublin Pharmacopoeia, and was found useful by Stokes and 
Montgomery in skin diseases. 

SNAKE-HEAD, (CMone <7?a6rflf, L.) Grows in damp soils; 
Piehland District; collected in St. John's Berkeley; vicinity of 
Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 520. In small doses it is laxative ; large 
quantities purge. It acts on the liver ; one drachm of the 
powder may be given at once. It is administered by the vege- 
table practitioners as an anthelmintic ; also in jaundice, in 
hepatic disorders generally, and in constipation. It is pre- 



508 

scribed as an alterative and tonic in impure conditions of the 
blood — the decoction, powder, or tincture used. 
DIGITALIS ; FOXGLOVE, (Digitalis purpurea.) 
It is stated in one of the gazettes that this plant grows na- 
tive around Charleston. See Shec. Flora Carol. 305. Elliott 
makes no mention of it ; neither does Bachman in his Cata- 
logue. The po^ve^ this remarkable species possesses of dimin- 
ishing the force of the circulation is well known. It sometimes 
proves violently emetic and purgative. See authors. 

HEDGE HYSSOP, (Gratiola officinalis. Gratiola Virginica 
of Mx. and Ell. Sk.) Natural. Abundant along the margins of 
ditches ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. April. 

Bull. Plantes Von de France, 118. It is purgative and 
emetic ; like the Arum, however, it loses much of its virtue 
when dried ; a small quantity of the fresh root will purge exces- 
sively, (des superpurgations extremement dangerouses.) It was 
used, says Lieutaud, as a hydragogue cathartic, sixty grains of 
the dried root being given in dropsy and intermittent fever. 
Thornton's Fam. Herbal. 23. It is also said to be powerfully 
anthelmintic, and was highly spoken of by the celebrated Boer- 
haave, by Hoffmann, and Dureau. "Relieves dropsy in the 
chest." Lind. Nat. Syst. 291. According to Vauquelin, the 
purgative property depends upon a peculiar substance analo- 
gous to resin, but differing from it in being soluble in hot water. 
Dr. Whiting has announced the existence oi ver atria in it, which 
accounts for its active properties. It formed an ingredient of 
the celebrated eau medicinale for gout. Dose of powder fifteen 
to thirty grains ; of the vinous tincture, forty to fifty drops; of 
the infusion of an ounce of dried plant to a pint of boiling 
water, half an ounce to an ounce. 

GOLDEN GRATIOLA, {Gratiola awrea, Muhl.) Vicinity of 
Charleston. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 519. It is said to be fully as powerful as 
the above, as a substitute for which it is employed; attention is 
called to it. 

Herpestis monnieria, Kunth. Herpestis cuneifolia, Ph. Ditches, 
Fla. to N. C. and westward. 

The juice is considered a good embrocation when mixed with 
petroleum, in rheumatic complaints. Griffith. 



509 

YELLOW GEKAliDIA, {Dasystovia pubescens, Bontli. Ge- 
rardia Flava, L. and Ell. Sk.) Abundant in rich, dry woods. 

This plant, it is said, will prevent the attacks of yellow and 
other flies upon horses ; ])robably owing to its great viscidity. 
See " Juglans." It is pubescent and highly viscous. It has 
very little taste, unless chewed for some time. Upon a subse- 
quent examination (18G2) of the G. Flava, I find that the hairs 
with which the plant is covered secrete from the gland at their 
summits a tenacious, gummy substance, to which insects may 
adhere. Under the microscope it is an interesting object. The 
leaves of the English o\dor {Sambucus nigra) "kill several species 
of noxious insects, offend and banish moles, and are greedily 
eaten by sheep." Our Lysimachias should be examined, as the 
loaves and flowers of L. nunwiularia, steeped in oil, have the 
power of destroying insects and worms which infest granaries. 

PURPLE GERARDIA, {Gerardia purpurea.) Common in 
wet places. 

A wineglassful of the decoction repeated is said to bo highly 
serviceable in "diseases of the kidneys ;" largely used in some 
portions of S. Carolina. It is said to give great relief. 

SPEEDWELL, (Veronica ojficitialis.) Grows in South Caro- 
lina, according to Pursh. Fl. May. 

Linn. Veg. Mat. Med. 1. This is tonic and pectoral; used in 
asthm.a and coughs, four spoonsful of the expressed juice being 
given in the form of tea. Indig. Bot. 18. The infusion of the 
leaves is employed on the west coast of Africa as a drink in 
gravelly complaints. Drs. Frank and Scopoli wrote mono- 
graphs on it ; the latter affirms that he cured a very violent 
case, where suffocation arose from catarrhal affection, by intro- 
ducing through the mouth, by a funnel, the vapor of a decoction 
of Veronica, mixed with vinegar. It contains tannin. Mer. 
and do L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 875; Flore Med. vi, 345. It is 
alluded to in the U. S. Disp. as a diaphoretic, diuretic and 
expectorant, which had passed out of use. Griffith refers to it 
as a mild astringent. Many of these plants only require exami- 
nation to regain the confidence once placed in them ; all being 
liable to the fluctuations which have characterized some that 
are now considered our most valuable agents. 

To the above, published in the first edition of this volume, 
I add the following from the 12th Edition U. S. Disp.: Exam- 



510 

ined by Euz, this plant is found to contain in the fresh juice 
and an extract from the herb, a bitter principle, soluble in alco- 
hol, but scarcely so in ether; an acrid principle, red coloring 
matter ; a variety of tannic acid, a crystallizable fatty acid, 
with malic, tartaric, citric, acetic and lactic acids ; a soft, dark, 
green, bitter resin and mannite. Prof. Mayer, of New York, 
found evidence of the existence of an alkaloid and a small 
quantity of a saponaceous principle. (Am. J. Pharm., July, 
1863.) 

NECKWEED, {Veronica peregrina, Mx.) Vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; Newbern. 

Grriffith's Med. Bot. 517. In some portions of the United 
States it is supposed to be very efficacious ; and is used inter- 
nally and externally as a wash in scrofulous tumors on the neck. 

YIKGINIAN VERONICA; CULVEE'S ROOT, {Veronica 
Virginica, L. JLeptandra, Nutt.) Grows in the mountain val- 
leys. Fl. August. 

U. S. Disp. 772 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 816. 
The root is bitter and nauseous, yielding its active properties 
to boiling water. In the recent state it is said to act violently, 
sometimes as a cathartic and sometimes as an emetic. 

Under the name Blackroot, Culver's root, and the probably 
erroneous botanical name, {Leptandra alba,) the author of a 
work professing to describe the Indian mode of treating dis- 
eases, entitled the "Cherokee Ph3^sician," recommends the plant 
as an efficient purge, "operating with mildness and certainty;" 
peculiarly adapted to typhoid and bilious fevers. Dose, a large 
teaspoonful of the root in a gill of boiling water, repeated in 
three hours. It is said to be also diaphoretic. The root may 
be given in any shape, and is thought to have a slow, alterative 
action. An extract is also used in making cathartic pills by 
concentrating the decoction, and using starch or liquorice root 
powder, or a syrup is made by adding molasses or sugar. It is 
laxative in tablespoonful doses. A principle called leptandrine, 
from the Leptandra, is much used in the Western States. An 
emetic decoction is made by the vegetable practitioners with the 
Leptandra root: half a pound American ipecacuanha, or the 
Indian physic one pound, put into a gallon of water and boiled 
down to a pint, of which the dose is an ounce every twenty 
minutes till vomiting is induced ; or two teaspoonsful of the 



511 

powder may be given in an ounce of boiling water, to be re- 
peated. 

Since the above was written the value of the plant has been 
more fully recognized, and it has been placed in the primary 
list of the U. S. Pbarmaccepia. I obtained additional information 
(1868) from the U. S. Disp., 12th Ed, Water and alcohol ex- 
tract the virtues of the root. According to Mr. E. S. Wayne, 
of Cincin., it contains volatile oil, extractive, tannin, gum, resin, 
and a peculiar crystalline principle to which the virtues of the 
plant may be ascribed. To this, says Dr. Wood, the name lep- 
tandrin properly belongs. The resinous matter obtained by 
making a tincture of the root precipitated with water has been 
improperly called leptandrin, (Proc. of the Am. Pharm. Assoc.) 
Dr. Wayne also obtained a principle having the properties of 
mannite. (Am. J. Pharm., 1859, 557.) The root acts both as 
an emetic and cathartic. The " Eclectics " use it as a cholo- 
gogae,'and the impure resin, which they call leptandrin, and 
the root itself, they employ as a substitute for mercurials. The 
The dose of the powder is from twenty grains to a drachm ; 
that of the impure resin is from two to four grains. Prof. 
Proctor, adds Dr. Wood, has prepared a fluid extract which, 
probably, contains all its virtues, and may be given as an ape- 
rient chologogue in the dose of from twenty to sixty minims. 
(Am. J. Pharm., March, 1863.) 

BKOOK PIMPERNEL; LONG-LEAVED BROOK-LIME, 
( Veronica anagallis, Mich.) Grows in South Carolina, according 
to Pursh. Nat. Fl. July. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, 130. The infusion is diuretic, anti- 
scorbutic and vulnerary. 

Scoparia dulcis, L. S. Fla. Chap. 

An infusion is used in S. America as a febrifuge and in hae- 
morrhoidal affections. Griffith. 

SOLANACE.E. {The Nightshade Tribe.) 

Leaves are narcotic and exciting — tubers generally whole- 
some. 

PEPPER, {Capsicum annuum.) Cultivated. 

Its properties are well known. Cayenne and other peppers 
may be used as external irritants in place of mustard. Our 



512 

Cnpsician frutescens, L., growing in S. Fla., should be examined, 
for the most active of these plants are either this identical spe- 
cies or varieties of it. They contain capsicin and are used to 
produce i-evulsion to the surface or as excitants of the stomach, 
also in fevers and affections of the throat. C. baccatum and 0. 
frutescens are said to yield most of the Cayenne pepper brought 
from the West Indies and S. America, and Ainslie informs us 
that the latter is chiefly employed in the East Indies. U. S. 
Disp. 

DEADLY NIGHTSHADE, (Solamim nigrum, L.) Grows in 
rich soils ; collected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; New- 
bern. Fl. July. 

Trous. et Pid. Mat. Med. i, 206 ; U. S. Disp. 304; Eberle, Mat. 
Med, ii, 89 ; Ed. and Vav. Mat. Med. 343 ; Eoyle, Mat. Med. 
495; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 326; Le. Mat. Med. ii, 272; 
Mer, and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 417 ; Journal de Chim. 
Med. iii, 422 and 541 ; Nouv. Journal de Med. x, 67 ; Alibert, 
Nouv. Elems. de Therap. i, 417. The berries are an active nar- 
cotic poison ; one grain of these, in augmented doses, is used as 
a remedy for increased flow of urine. It is indicated in dis- 
eases affecting the bladder, rebellious ulcers, etc. Milne, Ind. 
Bot. 315 ; Bull. Plantes Yen. de France, 155 ; Dem. Elem. de 
Bot. ii, 139. When swallowed, headache, violent distortion of 
limbs and delirium supervene. Rucke mentions a case of a 
family having eaten the leaves, and being attacked with swel- 
ling of the face, accompanied with burning heat, followed by 
gangrene. Forskall, in his Flora J^gypt. Arabica, says that an 
application of the bruised leaves acts as a specific in the disease 
termed by the Arabs bulla, and, applied with hog's lard, cures 
whitloAvs. Caesalpinus states that the juice, or a decoction, 
proved useful in inflammation of the stomach. Gataker, in his 
" Observations on the Use of the Solanum," commenced by giv- 
ing a grain, which acted gently as an evacuant by sweat, urine 
and stool ; if the dose was too large, it produced vomiting, pro- 
fuse perspiration, or too copious a discharge by the kidneys, or 
diarrhoea, and sometimes dimness of sight, vertigo, etc. He 
used it frequently in nervous affections, obscure pains and 
dropsy. Stearns' Am. Herb.; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
The leaves, beat up into a poultice, are applied to painful parts, 
hemorrhoids, etc., and as a cataplasm in spasmodic retention of 



513 

urine, and in catarrh of the bladder, no doubt producing bene- 
ficial results by its narcotic properties. Combined with bread, 
or bruised and applied alone, it eases headache and pain in the 
ears, helps inflammation of a venereal kind, pains from can- 
cerous tumors, and is applied with advantage in herpetic, 
syphilitic and scorbutic eruptions. Given internally, one half- 
grain infused in one ounce of boiling water may be used. See, 
also, Linnaeus, Veg. Mat. Med. 34; Flore Med. v, 239. It was 
mentioned by Dioscorides, iv, 56. By the analysis of Desfosses, 
the berries furnish an alkaloid called solanirie, possessed of 
marked properties. Nouv. Journal de Med. x, 67 ; Journal de 
Chim. Med. iii, 541. Dunal says it induces dilation of the pupil 
by friction, as completely as it is accomplished by belladonna. 
Anc. Journal de Med. vi, 150; Hist. Med. des Solane, by Dunal. 
It has been doubted whether it produces anj'^ impression upon 
epileptic patients. Botanique Med. 292. The fumes arising 
from thS burning of the fresh fruit are valuable in curing tooth- 
ache. Gazette of Health, May, 1824. The juice furnishes a 
reactive agent, which indicates at the same time acids and alka- 
lies, accoi'ding to S. Boullay, Bull, des Pharm. ii, 576 ; and in 
the Observs. on different English species by Broomsfield. See, 
also, Desfosses, Chem. Anal, of the narcotic principle, followed 
by some cases illustrating the action of that principle; Eevue 
Med. iv, 463. GriflSth Med. Bot. 482, says that it appears to 
possess the same properties as the S. dulcamara, but in a greater 
degree ; accounted for by the fact that solanina exists in it in 
larger proportion. Orfila found the extract equal in power and 
energy to that of lactuarium. Toxicol. Gen. ii, 190. It may 
be employed in the same description of cases as the bitter- 
sweet. Eberle thinks it is by far too much neglected. 

M. Dunal, of Montpelier, states as the result of numerous 
experiments, that the berries are not poisonous to man or the 
inferior animals; and the leaves are said to be consumed in 
large quantities in the Isle of France as food, having been pre-^ 
viously boiled in water. XJ. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

HORSE-NETTLE, (Solanum Carolinense, Michaux.) Dif- 
fused ; collected in St. John's Berkeley, in pine barrens j vicinity 
of Charleston ; Newbern. FI. August. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 410. Valentine employed 
it in tetanus, (non traumatique.) The juice of five or six 
33 



514 

berries was used, augmenting the dose from day to day. See 
"A notice of the different methods of treating tetanus in 
America, with observations on the good effects of S. Caro- 
linense," (in French.) Journal Gen. de Med. xl, 13. They did 
not have it in sufficient quantities to repeat the experiment ; 
with us it is abundant. It possesses some reputation among the 
negroes in South Carolina as an aphrodisiac. 

Salanum mammosum, Pursh. Fla.; Ga.; vicinity of Charleston. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. 295. The decoction of the root is bitter, and 
is esteemed a valuable diuretic. Ainslie, M. Med. 291; Griffith 
Med. Bot. 483. It bears a large and poisonous fruit, which is 
said to contain malate of solanina. Its extract, in small doses, 
has been given in cardialgia, lepra, etc. Flore Med. Antill. iii, 
159. 

Solanum Virginianum, Pursh. Grows in sandy soils ; vicinity 
of Charleston. Fl. July. 

Stearns' Am. Herbal. 154. The leaves are anodyne ; the 
juice of the whole plant is sharp and corrosive, and inspissated 
in the sun to the consistence of an ointment, is applied to 
cancers and ulcers. " The plant is good in rheumatic affections, 
and in those proceeding from venereal taint — surpassing 
opium." It has also been found serviceable in itch and herpe.s. 
From this statement, it appears to resemble in its properties the 
S. nigrum, of which it is considered a variety. 

lEISH POTATO, {Solanum tuberosum.) Cult. It is said to 
have been originally carried to Europe from Virginia. Baldwin 
found it growing wild in Peru. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, 142. The juice of the leaves is said to 
be an excellent diuretic. " Nous avons remarque que lea enfans 
de nos provinces, nourris avec ces racines, ont le ventre gros, 
dur, et sont sujets a des glandes tumefiees !" Lind. Nat. Syst. 
Bot. 295, where it is mentioned that the root, in a state of putre- 
faction, is affirmed to give out a light sufficient to read by. 
Macculloch said potash could not be obtained from the stalks, 
though it exists largely in the plant. Griffith's Med. Bot. 483. 
An extract of the leaves is highly spoken of by Mr. Dyer in 
chronic rheumatism, and in painful affections of the stomach 
and bowels ; he thinks it ranks between conium and belladonna. 
Pharm. Journal, i, 590. The leaves, stalks, and unripe berries 
are asserted to be narcotic ; and an extract from the leaves is 



515 

used in coughs and spasmodic affections, in which it is said to 
act like opium. From a half grain to two grains is the dose. 
Geiger ; U. S. Disp. Dr. Worshum's experiments in Philadel- 
phia did not support Dr. Latham's, of London, with regard to 
its influence on the nervous sj^stcm. Phil. Journ. M. and Phys. 
Sc. vi, 22. Otto found solania in the germs of the potato. The 
water in which potatoes are boiled contain solanina. The stalks 
contain a large quantity of potash, "and it is said that if the 
stalks were appropriated to this manufacture that they would 
supply most that is required in commerce." They also afford a 
bright yellow dye by bruising and pressing when in flower. 
GriflSth, Jour. Sc. and Arts, v. Eating the unripe fruit has 
caused death. 

The Irish as well as the sweet potato, rice, etc., contain starch 
in large amount, and it is easily obtained. See "Maranta," 
Arrows-root, in this volume. 

The following is a method of cleaning silks with potatoes: 
three potatoes are pared into thin slices and well washed ; pour 
on them a half pint of boiling water, and add to it an equal 
quantity of alcohol; sponge the silk on the right side, and when 
half dry iron it on the wrong side. The most delicate colored 
silks may be cleansed by this process, which is equally applica- 
ble to cloth, velvet, or crape. See " Ivy." 

TOMATO, (Solanwn lycopersicum. Ex.) Cult. 

The fruit of this plant is well known as an article of food ; it 
is slightly acid, and has a constipating effect, which renders it 
so appropriate as an article of food during the warm months of 
summer. The leaves are said to produce vomiting, from an 
alkaline principle which exists in them; they also contain cal- 
careous sulphates, extractive, and a coloring matter, combined 
with a volatile oil. See analysis in Journal de Pharm. xviii, 
106 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 488. The alkaloid principle contained 
in the leaves is analagous to, if not identical with, solanina. A 
peculiar oil and an animalized extractive are also ascribed to it 
by other observers. Journal Phil. Coll. Pliarm. iv, 224. The 
fruit contains a peculiar acid, and a brown, tarry, odorous, 
resinous matter, with some indications of the presence of an 
alkaloid. It is said to act on the biliary functions. 

Tomatoes may be preserved for winter use in a portable form 
suitable for distribution to soldiers in camp as well as for fami- 



lios, in tho tolUnvim;- inunnor: t\i:isl» tho fruit, strain tlio jiiioo 
thivngh a cosuso tvnvol. sonson witlt salt, boil in a powtov or tin 
vossol until ono third is ova|>iM'atoil ; tlion sjuvail o\\ a flat sur- 
tai'o aiul oxposo to tho sun till it looks liko a pasto. Whoti 
roadv {o storo away put writing papor ovor tlio y>asto. wii in 
vinoi^ir. Tho watorv parts arc all ovaporatoti, and a snntU por- 
tiiM\ is onouji'h to soastu\ sinip. broths, oto. Tho oooi\omioal 
valuo ot' tho plant is woU known. Tho soods aro irritaiit to tlio 
luiuous itnit ol' tho digest ivo origans, but tho laxativo otVoot is 
oorrootod bv tho juioo, whioh darkoius tho oNorota as it" a salt of 
iron had boon takon. Tho uso of tho tVuit tonds to ]u-omoto 
oonstipatiini and provont diarrluva. Tho juioo will tako out tho 
stain of iron rust tVoni linon and Wi^ollon by avldini;- a littlo salt 
to it. 

Phtfi^oli^ j»MftAV<v«.<. (Jrows ii\ sandy soils; Oi>llootod in >>t. 
John's. Fl.July. 

Mor. and vlo L. Oiot. do M. Mod. v. -iH! ; Journal do Chin\. 
Mod. vi. 210. It is supposed that tho tspooios boaring this name 
in F.uropo and Amorioa aro ilitVoront. Tho toj-nior is intorost- 
injj. ^.Hir nativo spooios ot phvt'alis havo boon proscribed as 
diuivtios and sodativos. Tho tVuit o( all jvro odihlo. GrilHth. 

Mioh. /*/)!/.<. I /i"s puh(\<rcns, \^^ PitVusod ; giMWS aloni; wads; 
ooUootod in St. John's In-rkoloy ; vioinity ot" Charloslon. Kl. 
.Vus^ust. 

This is saivl by Clayton to bo aotivoly diurotio. 

NiciiHiira physahui(S, C\i\<'Yi. AtroiHi, Jj. Cirows around build- 
iniXS ; in rioh soils. Fl. August. 

This plant would probably bo t'ound upon oxaniination to bo 
possossod of somo modioinal qualities, either nareotie or seda- 
tive. 

TOFkV^XW (^Nicotiana tabiicum, W .^ Introdiued. I have 
seen it naturalised in Fairtlold Hist riot, 8. C. This well known 
plant, the use of which every day ini-roasos throughout the 
oivili/.ed world, and which adds so much to the income of Statoni, 
is extensively cultivated in ^'irixinia and N. t^u-olina and to a 
lesser degree in the other Southern States. In the lower por- 
tions of Cioorgia it is planted as an article ot" trailc. Its pivp- 
erties are well kiiown. See medical authors. 

Tobacco should be moi-o extonsively cultivated lor home ust\ 



517 

particularly for the comfort of our working class in Carolina, 
Georgia and Alabama. 1 have seen it springing up, and bearing 
abundantly near Stateburg, also in St. John's Berkeley, South 
Carolina ; it was flourishing without culture. 

The seed of the Virginia or Kentucky plants when grown in 
S. C, produces a fine light colored leaf when dried, but upon 
smoking it is found to be strong and heady. Florida and Cuba 
seed are easily procured, and they produce a much milder 
variety. Cigars made of Florida tobacco are well known for 
their mildness. 

The following statement accords with my experience, with 
the exception of the variety grown in France : 

"Smokers who are susceptible to the effects of nicotine 
should be careful in their choice of tobacco, the different kinds 
of which have widely different amounts of nicotine. In that 
of Turkey, Greece and Hungary there is scarcely a trace of the 
poisofi. In that of Brazil, Havana and Paraguay the amount 
in two per cent. In that of Maryland 2.29 ; of Alsace 3.21 ; of 
Kentucky 6 ; of Virginia 6.87, and of France 7.30 per cent." 

The use of coffee is said to be an antidote for that of tobacco, 
and its value in that way is sustained by my own experience. 
Consult Johnson's Chemistry of Common Life, vol. ii, p. 32, for 
an interesting account of tobacco; the papers in the Lancet 
during the controversy on the subject of the use of tobacco ; 
also the British and Foreign Med. Chirurg. Review. As a local 
application to produce relaxation tobacco leaves are a valuable 
agent cautiously used, and discontinued when nausea or vomit- 
ing ensue. I have found a poultice made with it particularly 
serviceable in orchitis. In the manufacture of Killichinick to- 
bacco in Virginia they add sumach leaves, which lessens the 
strength. See a paper on the " Cultivation of Cuba Tobacco," 
by J. M. Hernandez, of St. Augustine, Florida, in Patent Ofifice 
Reports, 1854, p. 212; the best mode of preparing it is also 
treated of. The ashes of tobacco contain a large proportion of 
potash, and are given with gin as a diuretic in dropsy; burning 
may certainly temper the great activity of the plant. The 
residuum of ash after burning is very great, as any one can 
observe by noticing what remains when a cigar is consumed. 
The plant also yields ammoniacal salts. A full account of the 
amount of tobacco produced in the several States, and of the 



518 

culture and mode of preparation may be foimd in the Farmer's 
En eye. from the Farm Eegister. In planting tobacco the seeds 
are raised upon earth where logs have been burned, the plants 
being afterward transplanted. It would be presumptuous \d 
the writer to describe in detail the cultivation of our staple 
products, though many desire information concerning those 
with the culture of which they are unacquainted. This plant 
not being eaten by animals may be planted on a small scale in 
stable and other yards. I have seen it growing luxuriantly in 
these situations. Mr. Gilmore Simms informs me that a neigh- 
bor of his in Edgefield District made 6150 from two acres in 
1868. 

I have thought it advisable in this, the 2d Edition, to repub- 
lish one or two practical articles on the method of planting and 
rearing and preparing the tobacco plant, which received prizes 
from the " American Agriculturist," that those residing in sec- 
tions of country where the plant is not generally cultivated 
may obtain the necessary information. I select two of the 
papers from a pamphlet entitled "Tobacco Culture; practical 
details from the selection and preparation of the seed and the 
soil to harvesting, curing and marketing the crop. Plain direc- 
tions as given by fourteen experienced cultivators residing in 
different parts of the U. States. N. York, Orange Judd & Co." 
I regret that there are none written from localities in Virginia, 
though numerous essaj's have appeared in that State. Allow- 
ances must be made for difference of climate. The first is by 
Judson Popenoe, of Montgomery Co., Ohio : 

I commenced the cultivation of tobacco about fifteen years 
ago ; I therefore write from experience, and shall try to give 
that experience in a short and plain way. 

Varieties. — I have cultivated various kinds of tobacco, but 
have come to the conclusion that what we call the Ohio seed- 
leaf is the best and most profitable kind for general cultivation. 
There are other kinds of tobacco that sometimes are profitable, 
and do well, but most of these do not cure out so well, nor color 
so evenly, nor are they so fine and saleable as the seed-leaf. 
The Havana tobacco is too small and has not the fine flavor of 
the imported. The Connecticut seed-leaf I believe to be identi- 
cal with our Ohio seed-leaf; the difference in the climate may 
make a slight variation in the quality, but we plant the Con- 



519 

necticut seed-leaf here in Ohio, and I don't think they can be 
told apart. The most of the tobacco raised in this district is 
the seed-leaf, which is strong evidence that it is the best and 
most profitable kind to raise here. 

Seed. — At topping-time a few of the most thrifty stalks should 
be left to grow without topping, for seed. When the crop is cut 
let the seed-stalks stand, stripping off the leaves and suckers. 
As soon as the seed-pods are black, the seed is matured; then 
cut off the seed-heads below the forks of the plant, and hang 
them in a dry place, out of the reach of mice, to cure. At leis- 
ure time, during the winter, strip the seed-pods from off the 
stalk, rub them in the hands until the seed is rubbed out, sift 
through a fine sifter, put in a dry place, secure from vermin of 
all kinds, and it is ready to sow. I have sowed seed six years 
old which grew as well as new seed. I think it is a good plan 
to raise seed enough at any time to sow for ten years, as it is 
thought to deteriorate by constant raising without changing. 
If seed snaps or pops when it is thrown on a hot stove, jt will 
grow. 

Preparing Seed-Beds. — There are two plans of preparing beds 
for sowing seed ; the first, and best, is to spade or plow a bed in 
rich, dry ground, with a southern exposure ; the south end of a 
barn is a good place, as the reflection helps to warm the ground. 
Where you have tobacco stalks, as you make a furrow with the 
plow or spade, fill one-third full with the stalks and turn the 
next furrow over them, and so continue until the bed is broken 
up. The stalks hold moisture, make the bed warm, and help to 
drain it. Take well rotted hog manure and spread over the 
bed, to the depth of about two inches, then harrow or rake until 
the manure is thoroughly mixed with the surface of the bed, and 
all is well pulverized, and as fine as garden mold. For a bed 
one rod wide and four rods long take two common sized table- 
spoonsful (as much as will lie on conveniently) of seed and mix 
it with four quarts of ashes, or slacked lime, and sow broadcast ; 
the ashes will enable the seed to be sowed evenly ; then take a 
hand roller and roll the bed evenly, or place a board on one end 
of the bed and walk on it to press the ground to the seed, move 
it over and repeat this until the bed is all pressed over. Another 
plan is to burn a large brush-heap in a clearing or on any new 
ground in the evening; in the morning dig the ground up with 



520 

the ashes onj while warm, rake the bed fine and sow the seed as 
above directed. Very little weeding is required where the 
ground is burned, as the fire destroys the weed and grass-seeds. 

If the weather is dry the plants will need watering after they 
are sprouted, (which will be in about three weeks ;) in fact, the 
surface of the bed should be kept constantly moist ; the beds 
should be kept clear of weeds ; do not let the weeds get a start 
of your plants or they will soon choke them out. If the plants 
grow well and evenly, the above-sized bed will plant four or five 
acres, but it is always safe to have two or three such beds, to 
guard against a failure, and to supply your neighbors. The 
usual time to sow is from the middle of March to the tenth of 
April, or as soon as the ground admits of working in the spring. 
I have known seed sown in the fall make good plants, but do 
not recommend it. 

Soil. — A rich, sandy, second bottom, I believe to be the best 
for raising tobacco, although our chocolate-colored uplands, 
when very rich and highly manured, will grow an excellent 
quality of tobacco, but will not yield as much to the acre. 
Black river bottoms will yield more to the acre than any other 
kind of land, but the tobacco is not of so fine a quality ; it grows 
larger, has coarser stems and heavier body, and consequently, 
in my opinion, is not so good for wrappers or fine cut as the 
second bottom or upland tobacco. 

Manuring and Preparing for Planting. — Tobacco is a gross 
feeder and grows rapidly when once started, therefore needs 
plenty of food to make it grow well. There should be a good 
coat of clover to plow under ; if the ground is naturally rich, 
this alone will make a good crop, but hog and stable manure, 
well rotted, is what the tobacco, as well as any other crop, de- 
lights in, and the more manure the better the tobacco. The 
plan that I am now experimenting on is, as soon as I cut my 
tobacco in the fall I give the ground a good harrowing, and 
then drill in wheat ; the ground being well cultivated all the 
fall, is clear of weeds and mellow and needs no plowing. In the 
spring I sow clover, after the wheat is off ; I keep the stock off 
until about September, to give the clover a chance to harden 
and spread. I then let the stock eat as low as they want to, 
which drives the clover to root and causes the crown to spread ; 
I do not suffer stock to run on the clover during winter or 



521 

spring ; about the last of May or first of June I plow the clover 
under, which is now in blossom, and so I alternately keep two 
fields in tobacco and wheat, at the same time feeding the ground 
a crop of clover everj'^ two years ; in this way I expect my land 
to increase in fertility all the time. The clover turned under 
makes food for the cut-worms, and they trouble the tobacco 
plants but little. We now harrow thoroughly, followinsr in the 
same way that we plow, to make the sod lie fiat and not drag 
up ; next the roller is put on, and after the ground is well rolled 
it should be again harrowed, and, if cloddy, rolled again. Make 
the ground in the best conditioo possible, so that the roots of 
the tobacco will have no difficultj'" in penetrating the soil and 
searching for food. My plan is to furrow east and west three 
feet apart, north and south three and a half feet. I plow the 
tobacco both ways, but do all the hoeing, suckering, etc., north 
and south. Some mark out the ground three feet each way, 
but I think it is too close. If the tobacco is large, three feet 
does not give room to work among it conveniently. I mark out 
the ground with a small one-horse plow, going east and west 
first, finishing the way that I make my hills. The usual way 
to make the hills is with the hoe, making the hill where the 
furrows cross each other, drawing the dirt into a hill about as 
large as for covering corn or potatoes. With the flat part or 
back of the hoe press or flatten the hill down to the level of the 
surface of the ground, taking care to have it clear of clods or 
rubbish. I generally make my hills with what we call a jump- 
ing-shovel — the frame of a single shovel-plow, made light, with 
a shovel about eight inches square, put on in the place of the 
common shovel. Hitch a steady horse to this, start him in the 
furrows, dip the shovel in the middle of the furrows, and raise 
it, depositing the dirt at the cross of the furrows. -Have a hand 
following to level and pat down the hills, and take out clods. 
In this way I made, with the assistance of a boy fifteen years 
old, about fifteen thousand hills in a day, while with the hoe 
alone three or four thousand is a good day's work. 

Setting out Plants. — From the first to the fifteenth of June is 
the proper time, although, if it is seasonable, up to the fourth of 
July will do, but the sooner after the first of June the better. 
By this time, with proper care and attention, the plants are 
large enough. The gi-ound should be well saturated with rain, 



and a cloudy day is much the best. Immediately after a rain, 
or between showers, call out all the force, for the work is 
pressing ; the success of the crop depends on getting it out at 
the right time; all hands go to the plant beds, pull the largest 
plants one at a time; don't let two stick together, or thebo^^s 
will drop them together and the plant will be lost. After the 
baskets are full, let one hand continue to pull plants. Put the 
little boys and girls to drop})ing one plant on the side of each 
hill ; let those who stick take an extra plant in the hand, draw- 
ing the leaves together in the left, hand, and with the forefinger 
of the right hand make a hole in the centre of the hill deep 
enough to receive the fall length of the roots without the top 
root bending up; insert the plant up to the collar with the left 
hand, stick the forefinger of the right hand one or two inches 
from the plant, and press the dirt well up against the roots, 
taking care that the dirt is pressed so as to till up the hole. 
Pick up the plant on the side of the hill, and as you stop to the 
next hill, arrange it for sticking ; in this waj' you always stick 
the plant that you pick from one hill in the next, thereby 
greatly facilitating the work. Sometimes the ground is not 
sufficiently wot, and the sun, coming on the plant, is apt to in- 
jure it; at such times take a small clod and lay it on the heart 
of the plant to keep the sun olf, removing the clod in the even- 
ing. As soon as the plants have started, the first time the 
ground is wet enough replant where they have died out. 

Cultivation. — As soon as the plants have taken root and com- 
menced to grow, begin to use a double shovel-plow, having the 
shovel next the tobacco, about three inches wide and six or 
eight inches long; do not go too close to the hill, or you may 
displace the plant; follow with a hoe, removing all grass and 
weeds, leaving the tobacco master of the situation. Dig gently 
the surtace of the hill, and draw a little fine dirt around the 
plant, and strive to keep the soil around the hill as mellow as 
possible without disturbing the plant. After going over in this 
manner, plow the opposite way, going twice in a row. Some 
prefer the cultivator tor going over the first two times, and, I 
think, perhaps it would be preferable, as it pulverizes the ground 
bettor than the shovel-plow. After going over the field twice, 
in the above manner, commence again with the double shovel- 
])low, the way the tobacco was planted, following witii the hoe, 



523 

giving it a good hooing aH before. Uho your judgment about 
the amount of tillage needed; keep elear of weedw ; keep the 
ground mellow, and when the plants have wpread so that they 
arc bruised by ihe hoe and plow, stop cultivating. 

WormH. — Ah soon as worms appear, which is generally when 
the leaves are as big as a man's hand, go over the tobacco, look- 
ing carefully at every plant. The worms usually stay on the 
underside of the leaf; if you see a hole in the leaf, no matter 
how small, raise it up and you will generally find a worm under 
it. Worming cannot be done too carefully. Miss one or two 
worms on a plant, and before you are awaro of it the plant is 
nearly eaten up. When you find a worm, take bold of it with 
the thumb and forefinger, giving your thumb that ])eculiar twist 
which none but those who are practiced in it know how to do, 
and put the proper amount of pressure on, and my word for it 
you will render his wormship harmless. Worming has to be 
continued until the tobacco is cut ; the last worming to be ira. 
mediately preceding cutting and housing. 

Toppinr/. — The tobacco is ready to top when the button (as 
the blossom or top of the stalk is called) has put out sufficiently 
to be taken hold of, without injury to the top leaves. As to- 
bacco is not regular in coming into blossom, it is the usual 
practice to let those stalks that blossom first, run a little be- 
yond their time of topping, and then top all that is in button as 
you go. There is no particular height to top at, but as a gen- 
eral thing sixteen to eighteen leaves are left ; judgment is nec- 
essary' to determine where to top; if topped too high, two or 
three of the top leaves are so small as not to amount to much ; 
if topped low, the tobacco spreads better ; if just coming out in 
top, reach down among the top leaves, and with thumb and 
forefinger pinch the top or button off below two or three leaves ; 
if well out in top, break off several inches down from the button 
and four or five leaves below it. 

Suckering. — As soon as the tobacco is topped the suckers begin 
to grow ; one shoots out fn^m the stalk at the root of each leaf, 
on the upper side. When the top suckers are from three to 
four inches long, the suckering should be done; with the right 
hand take hold of the top sucker, with the left take hold of the 
next, close to the stalk, and break them ofi', and so proceed, 
using both hands, stooping over the stalk, taking care not to 



524 

injure the leaf. Break the suckers about half-way down the 
stalk, the balance being too short to need removing until the 
second suckering. In' about two weeks from topping, the to- 
bacco is ready to cut; now give it the last worming and suck- 
ering, breaking all suckers off down to the ground, and remove 
every worm, if you don't want your tobacco eaten in the sheds. 
Cutting and Housing. — As a general rule tobacco should be cut 
in about two weeks from topping, at which time the leaves as- 
sume a spotted appearance and appear to have fulled up thicker; 
double up the leaf and press it together with thumb and finger, 
and, if ready to cut, the leaf where pressed will break crisp and 
short. Do not let your tobacco get over-ripe or it will cure up 
yellow and spotted ; it is better to cut too soon than too late. 
Take a hatchet or short corn knife, grasp the stalk with the 
left hand, bend it w^ell to the left, so as to expose the lower part 
of the stalk, strike with the knife just at the surface of the 
ground, let the stalk drop over on the ground without doubling 
the leaves under, and leave it to wilt. The usual practice is to 
worm and sucker while the dew is on in the morning, and as 
soon as the dew is off to commence cutting. There are some 
who advocate cutting in the afternoon, say three o'clock"; let it 
wilt and lie out until the dew is otf next day, and take it in be- 
fore the sun gets hot enough to burn it. I prefer the first plan, 
because a heavy dew may fall on the tobacco, and next day be 
cloudy, leaving the tobacco wet and unpleasant to handle. After 
cutting allow the tobacco to wilt long enough to make the 
leaves tough, so that they can be handled without tearing. 
Great care is now necessary to keep the tobacco from sun-burn- 
ing; cutting should be commenced as soon as the dew is off, 
and all that is cut should be housed by eleven o'clock, unless it 
is cloudy ; from eleven to two o'clock the direct rays of the sun 
on the tobacco, after it is cut, will burn the leaves in twenty 
minutes ; after two, as a general thing, there is no danger of 
such burning, the sun's rays not striking direct on the tobacco. 
Have a wagon at hand, with stiff boards, twelve feet long, laid 
on the running gears; as soon as the tobacco is wilted so that it 
can be handled without breaking, commence loading on both 
sides of the wagon on the front end, lapping the tobacco the 
same as loading fodder, keeping the butts out on both sides — 
build about two feet high, and so on until loaded. 



525 

Tobacco Barn. — Mine is fifty by thirty-three feet, with eighteen 
feet posts ; the tiers are four and a half feet apart. I hang four 
full tiers of tobacco, and hang between the purline plates in the 
comb, a half tier; the bents of the frame are sixteen and two- 
eighths feet apart. I hang on four feet sticks made of hickory, 
rived one-half inch by one and a quarter inches, shaved and 
tapered at one end to receive an iron socket ; I have sawed 
sugar- tree scantling!* sixteen and two-eighths feet long, three by 
four inches thick, for the ends of the sticks to rest on and meet 
in the centre of the rail, one and a half inches resting on it. 
Some use sawed lath to hang on, but the split and shaved arc 
far preferable. Hanging on fence-rails with twine is going out 
of use, as it should. I use my barn to store wheat and barley, 
doing the threshing just before tobacco-hanging. My barn will 
hang about seven acres of good tobacco. 

Housing Tobacco. — The tobacco being brought to the barn, 
should be unloaded on a platform or bench convenient for han- 
dling. An iron socket, about six inches long, three-quarters by 
one and a quarter inches at the big end, tapering to a sharp 
point is necessary ; the sticks should be shaved so as to fit the 
socket as near as possible, but do not bring the stick to a sharp 
point, or it will not lie firmly on the rail. Have a one and a half 
inch hole bored three inches deep in the barn-post, three feet 
from the ground or floor ; let the hole be bored slanting down 
a little, so that the socket end of the lath may be the highest; 
put the end of the stick that is not tapered into this hole and 
the socket on the lath; take hold of a stalk with the right hand, 
about one foot from the butt end, bring it against the point of 
the socket, six inches from the butt of the stalk, grasp the butt 
with the left hand, and give the right band a firm, quick jerk to 
start the stalk to split ; then, with both hands, pull it back 
against the post, and so on until you have the stick full. The 
stalks should not be crowded on the sticks, four or five inches 
apart is close enough ; eight or nine large stalks are enough for 
a four-foot stick. Having filled the slick, remove the socket, 
lay your stick of tobacco on the floor, and go on sticking until 
the load is all stuck ; or it is a good plan to have rails laid on 
the lower tie and hang for the present as you stick. While one 
or two hands are hanging one load, another may be in the field 
bringing in another. In hanging, have a single block and half- 



526 

inch rope, with a hook at one end ; secure the block near where 
you hang, place the hook in the centre of the stick of tobacco, 
and let the man on the floor draw it up to the one who hangs. 
There should be a stout pine board, two inches thick, fifteen 
inches wide, and long enough to reach from tie to tie ; this should 
be placed under where you hang, to walk on. When the to- 
bacco is hoisted up, take it off the hook, and walk to the farther 
end of the board ; have your rails placed to receive the stick, 
and so continue until your rails are full, then move your board 
and block to another place, and so continue. A sixteen-foot rail 
will hang about twenty-four laths; eight inches apart is about 
the distance to place the laths of tobacco on the rails ; if too 
much crowded the tobacco will house-burn. Care should be 
used never to let a load of tobacco lie long on the wagon or in a 
pile, as it sweats and heats and is soon ruined. Always keep 
the tobacco cool. After it is housed, keep the doors open day 
and night, so that it may have the benefit of the warm and dry air 
for the purpose of curing, closing the doors against high winds 
and beating rains. When cured keep the doors closed. 

Stripping. — When the tobacco is sufficiently cured to strip, 
which will be after it has been well frozen and dried out, you 
will have to watch for it to get "in case" for handling; when a 
warm, wet, misty spell of weather comes, throw open the doors 
to allow the tobacco to take the damp. When the stems of the 
leaves are so limber that they will not snap, and the leaves are 
pliable, but not too wet, take down a sufficient quantity to strip 
for two or three days ; take it off the sticks, make a temporary 
crib of boards about four feet wide, and bulk the tobacco in it, 
laying the tops in, butts out, next the boards. After you have 
made your bulk, cover with an old carpet, boards, or anything 
else handy, to keep it from getting too damp or from drying 
out. Care should be taken that the bulk does not heat ; if the 
stalks are wet or there is any uncured tobacco, forty eight 
hours is sufficient to spoil the tobacco. During the winter there 
are generally several tobacco seasons, and by improving them 
the stripping can all be done before March. Having the bulk 
down we now proceed to strip for market; lay a pile of the to- 
bacco on a bench or platform about two feet high, and let the 
most careful and handy man take a stalk in his left hand, give 
it a shake to make the leaves hang out free, then pick off four or 



527 

five of the bottom or ground leaves^ and any badly torn or dis- 
eased leaves, and all such as are not considered j9rime ; do not 
put any frosted or "/a^ " leaves in, as it spoils the tobacco ; pass 
the stalk that is pi-imed to the stripper, and let him take off the 
prime leaves. Take off one leaf at a time, keeping them straight 
in the hand; when a sufficient number are taken off to make 
what is called a hand of tobacco, take a leaf in the right hand, 
put the thumb of the left hand on the end of the leaf about one 
inch from the butt of the hand or bunch, and pass the leaf 
around once or twice; an inch is wide enough for the hand; 
open the hand of tobacco in the centre, pass the end of the leaf 
through and draw it tight, then squeeze the hand together and 
lay it down, keeping the leaves straight. An inch and a half in 
diameter is large enough for a hand. When a sufficient quantity 
is stripped to commence bulking, make two places to bulk in, 
one for prime and one for ground leaf; let the space be according 
to the'quantity of tobacco to bulk. A bulk three and a half feet 
high and twenty feet long will hold ten boxes or about four 
thousand pounds of prime tobacco ; the sides of the bulk must 
not be inclosed, but left open, so that the butts can dry out ; at 
each end of the bulk put a bulkhead of boards to build against, 
about three feet wide and four feet high ; secure this upright 
and firm ; do not build on the ground, but on a platform or floor. 
Commence at one end against the bulkhead, take one hand of 
tobacco at a time, straighten and smooth it, and lay it on the 
floor at one side of the bulk; take another as above, press it 
against the first, and so proceed to lay the length of the bulk ; 
then turn and lay down the other side of the bulk, letting the 
ends of the tobacco lap over the first row about four inches, and 
80 repeat, keeping the butts even. After one or two rounds are 
laid, get on the bulk on the knees, and as you lay a hand put 
your knee on it, and thus pack as close and compact as possible. 
When not bulking down have boards laid on the tobacco and 
weights put on to keep the tobacco level. Keep the ground leaf 
separate from the prime. 

Boxing. — Boxes should be made 30 inches square by 42 inches 
in length outside ; saw the end-boards 28 inches long, nail them 
to two 1\ inch square slats so that the head will be 28 inches 
square ; when two heads are made, nail the sides of the box to 
the heads so as to come even with the outside of the head, the 



528 

sides being 28 inches wide ; then nail the bottom on firmly ; the 
top can be nailed slightly until after the tobacco is packed, 
when it can be nailed firm. Set your box by the side of the 
bulk, and let one hand get in the box and another pass the to- 
bacco to him, one hand at a time, taking care not to shake it 
out, but put in the box as it comes from bulk, with the butt of 
the hand next the end of the box. Place close and press with 
the knee firmly ; lay alternate courses at each end, and if the 
tobacco is not long enough to lap sufficiently to fill the centre, 
put a few hands crosswise in the centre. When the box is full, 
place it under a lever; have a follower, which is a cover made 
of inch boards, nailed to two pieces of scantling and made to fit 
inside of the box ; lay this on the tobacco, and build with 
blocks of scantling on it of a sufficient height for the lever to 
be clear of the box when pressed. Press down firmly with a 
strong lever, and, while kneeling in another box full, let the 
lever remain, so that the tobacco gets set in the box. When 
read}" take the lever off" and fill up as before, about six inches 
higher than the box ; press it below the top of the box, take off" 
your lever and nail on the top as quickly as possible. Some 
use tobacco-presses for packing, which are perhaps more conve- 
nient ; they are of various patterns, but a lever saves the 
expense of a press, and is in the reach of all. If tobacco is sold 
at the shed, it should be sold before packing, being easier exam- 
ined in bulk than box. 

No. two is by W. W. W. Bowie, Prince George's County, Md. 

Seed-Beds. — A rich loam is the soil for tobacco plants. The 
spot for a bed should be the south side of a gentle elevation, as 
well protected as possible by woods or shrubbery. After a 
thorough burning of brush, dig deep, and continue to dig, rake 
and chop, until every clod, root and stone be removed ; then 
level and pulverize nicely with a rake. As to the variety to 
plant, I think the Cuba is a very good kind for our climate. 
The Connecticut seed-leaf is the best, but culture has more than 
anything else to do with the quality. Mix one gill of seed for 
every ten square yards with a quart of plaster or sifted ashes, 
and sow it regularly in the same manner that gardeners sow 
small seeds, only with a heavier hand ; roll with a hand-roller 
or tramp it with the feet. If the bed is sown early, it ought to 
be covered with brush free from leaves ; but it is not necessary 



529 

to cover it after the middle of March. Tobacco-beds may be 
sown at any time during the winter if the ground be not too 
wet or frozen. The best time for sowing is from the 10th to the 
20th of March, though it is safest to sow at intervals, whenever 
the land is in fine order for working. Never sow unless the 
land is in good order, for the work will be thrown away if the 
land be too moist or be not perfectly prepared. The beds must 
be kept free from grass or weeds, which must be picked out one 
at a time by the fingers. It is a tedious and troublesome opera- 
tion, therefore you should be very careful not to use any 
manures on your beds which have gz-ass or weed-seeds in them. 
After the plants are up they should receive a slight top-dress- 
ing of manure once a week, sown broadcast by the hand. This 
manure should be composed of half a bushel of unleached 
ashes, (or one bushel of burnt turf,) one bushel of fresh virgin 
woods-earth, one gallon of plaster, half a gallon of soot, one 
quart oT salt dissolved in two gallons of liquid from barnyard, 
and four pounds of pulverized sulphur, the whole well inter- 
mixed. Let a large quantity be put together early in the 
spring, or winter rather, and put away in barrels for use when 
wanted. This, and other such mixtures, have been found effica- 
cious in arresting the ravages of the fly — both fz'om the frequent 
dusting of the plants and the increased vigor which it imparts 
to them, thereby enabling the plant the sooner to get out of the 
tender state in which the fly is most destructive to it. The fly 
is a small black insect, somewhat like the flea, and delights in 
cold, dry, harsh weather, but disappears with the mild showers 
and hot suns of opening summer. If possible, the plants should 
stand in the bed from half an inch to one-inch apart, and if 
they are too thick they must be raked when they have gener- 
ally become as large as five or ten-cent pieces. The rake 
proper for the purpose should be a small common rake, with 
iron teeth three inches long, curved at the points, teeth flat, 
and three-eighths of an inch wide, and set half an inch apart. 

After -Culture. — The soil best adapted to the growth of tobacco 
is light, friable soil, or what is commonly called a sandy loam, 
not too flat, but rolling, undulating land — ^not liable to drown in 
excessive rains. New land is far better than old. Ashes are 
decidedly superior to any other fertilizer for tobacco. Theory 
and practice unite in sustaining this assertion. The land in- 
34 



530 

tended for tobacco should be well plowed in April, taking care 
to turn the turf completely under, and sub-soiling any portions 
that may be very stiff and hold to water near the surface ; and 
let the land be well harrowed directly after breaking it up. It 
should then be kept clean, light, and well pulverized by occa- 
sional working with cultivators and large harrows, so as not to 
disturb the turf beneath the surface. When the plants are of 
good size for transplanting, and the ground in good order for 
their reception, the land, or so much as can be planted in a 
"season," should be "scraped," which is done by running par- 
allel furrows, with a small seeding-plow, two and a half feet 
apart, and then crossing these again at right angles, preserving 
the same distance, which leaves the ground divided in checks or 
squares of two and a half or three feet each way. The hoes 
are then put to work and the hill is formed by drawing the two 
front angles of the square into the hollow or middle, and then 
smoothed on top and patted by one blow of the hoe. The fur- 
rows should be run shallow, for the hills should be low and well 
levelled off on the top, and, if possible, a slight depression near 
the centre, so as to collect the water near the plant. The first 
fine rain thereafter the plants should be removed from the seed- 
beds, and one carefully planted in each hill. A brisk man can 
plant from five to six thousand plants per day. The smaller or 
weaker hands, with baskets filled with plants, precede the 
planters^ and drop the plants on the hill. In drawing the plants 
from the bed, and carrying them to the ground, great care 
should be taken not to bruise or mash them. They ought to be 
put in baskets or barrels, if removed in carts, so that not many 
will be in a heap together. The plants should never be planted 
deeper than when they stood in the bed. Planting is done 
thus : Seize the plants dropped on the hill with the left hand ; 
with one finger of the right hand make a hole in the centre of 
the hill, and with the left put in the root of the plant. The dirt 
is well closed about the roots of the plants, (put in with the 
left,) by pressing the forefinger and thumb of the right hand 
on each side of the plant, taking care to close the earth well 
about the bottom of the root. If sticks are used to plant with, 
they should be short, and the planter should be careful not to 
make the hole too deep. The plants should be very carefully 
planted, for if the roots are put in crooked and bent up, the 



531 

plant may live but never flourish, and, perhaps, when too late 
to replant, it will die, and then all the labor will be wasted. In 
three or four days it may be weeded out — that is, the hoes are 
passed near the plants, and the hard crust formed on the hills 
pulled away, and the edges of the hill pulled down in the fur- 
rows ; this is easily done if performed soon after planting, but 
if delayed, and the ground gets grassy, it will then be found a 
very troublesome operation. After weeding out, put a gill of 
equal parts of plaster and ashes, well mixed, upon each plant. 
In a few days, say a week or less time, run a small plow through 
it, going twice in a row. This is a delicate operation, and re- 
quires a steady horse and skilful plowman, for without great 
care the plants will be knocked up or be killed by the working. 
In a week after, the tobacco cultivator or plow must be used. 
Either implement is valuable at this stage of the crop. But 
once in a row is often enough for either cultivator or shovel- 
plow to pass. The crop can now be made with their use by 
working the tobacco once a week for four or five weeks, going 
each time across the former working. Any grass growing near 
the root of the plants should be pulled out by hand. As soon as 
the tobacco has become too large to work without injuring the 
leaves by the single-trees, the hoes should pass through it, 
drawing a little earth to the plants when required, and levellino- 
the farrows made by the cultivator and shovel. Let tiiis hoe- 
ing be well done, and the crop wants no more working. Care 
should be taken to leave the land as level as possible, for level 
culture is best. 

Topping. — When it blossoms the best plants ought to be 
selected ; one hundred plants being enough to save for seed to 
sow a crop of forty thousand pounds. All the rest should be 
topped before blossoming — indeed, as soon as the blossom bud 
is fairly formed. It should be topped down to the leaves that 
are six inches long, if early in the season, but if late, top still 
lower. If the season is favorable, in two weeks after a plant 
has been topped it will be fit for cutting, yQt it will not suffer 
by standing longer in the field. From this stage of the crop 
until it is in the house, it is a source of solicitude and vexation 
to the planter. He is fearful of storms, of frost, and worms, his 
worst enemy — they come in crowds, " their name is legion " — 
and the suckers are to be pulled ofi" when they get three or four 



532 

inches long; they spring out abundantly from the bottom of 
the plant or leaf where it joins the stalk. Ground leaves are 
those at the bottom of the plant which become dry on the 
stalk ; gather them early in the morning, when they will not 
crumble. 

Worms. — These ought to be pulled off and killed as fast as 
they appear, or they will destroy the crop. Turkeys are of 
o-reat assistance in destroying these insects ; they eat them and 
kill thousands which they do not eat, for it seems to be a cher- 
ished amusement to them to kill worms on tobacco ; they grow 
passionately fond of it — they kill for the love of killing. There 
are every year two "gluts," as they are called by planters; the 
first attacking the plants about the time that they are about 
one-third or half grown, the other comes on when the tobacco 
is ready for cutting. The first can be easily subdued by a good 
supply of turkeys, and if then thej' are effectually destroyed, 
the second glut will be very easy to manage ; for it is the 
opinion of many intelligent and experienced planters that the 
greater portion of the first glut reappears the same year, as 
horn-blowers and breed myriads. When the second army of 
worms makes it appearance, the tobacco is so large that the 
turkej's do but little good. The only method, then, to destroy 
them, is to begin in time. Start when they are being hatched, 
and keep up a strict watch upon them, going over the whole 
field, plant by plant, and breaking the eggs, killing such as may 
be seen ; and by constant attention during each morning and 
evening to this business alone, with the whole force of the 
farm, they may be prevented from doing much harm. When 
they disappear the second time there is no more cause of 
trouble. 

Cutting and Housing. — When the plant begins to yellow, it is 
time to put it away. It is cut off close to the ground by turn- 
ino" up the bottom leaves and striking with a tobacco-knife, 
formed of an old scythe — such knives as are often used for cut- 
ting corn. Let it lie on the ground for a short time to wilt, 
and then carry it to the tobacco-house, when it may be put 
away in three different modes, by "pegging," "spearing," and 
" splitting." Pegging tobacco is the neatest way and best, yet 
the slowest. It is done by driving pegs about six inches long 
and half an inch or less square into the stalk, about four inches 



533 

from the big end of the stalk ; and these pegs are driven in with 
a mallet, in a slanting direction, so as to hook on to the sticks 
in the house. It is then put on to a "horse," which, by a rope 
fixed to one corner, is pulled up in the house and there hung 
upon the sticks, which are regulated at proper distances. A 
" tobacco-horse" is nothing more than three small sticks nailed 
together so as to form a triangle, each side being three or four 
feet long. Spearing is the plan I pursue ; because it is neat 
enough and decidedly the quickest plan. A rough block, with 
a hole morticed in it, and a little fork a few inches from the 
hole for the tobacco-stick to rest upon, one end being in the hole 
and a spear on the other end of the stick, is all the apparatus 
required ; the plant is then, with both hands, run over the 
spear and thus strung upon the sticks, which, when full, are 
taken to the house and hung up at once. There are " dart- 
spears^" like the Indian dart, and "round spears." Either 
will do. 

"Splitting" tobacco is admired by many who contend that it 
cures brighter, quicker, and is less likely to house-burn or injure 
from too thick hanging. This mode is pursued easily by simply 
splitting, with a knife made for the purpose, the plant from the 
top to within a few inches of the bottom, before it is cut down 
for housing. Care should be taken not to break the leaves 
while splitting the stalk. The knife for splitting may be fully 
described by saying it is a miniature spade. It can be easily 
made out of an old scythe-blade inserted in a cleft white oak 
handle, with its edges bevelled off to the blade, so that it acts 
like a wedge to the descending knife. After the tobacco is split, 
cut down and carried to the house, it is straddled across the 
sticks and hung up. The sticks are generally supported by 
forks driven into the ground near the heap of tobacco, for 
greater convenience to the person putting on the plants. To- 
bacco sticks are small round sticks, or are split out like laths, 
and are about one-inch square at one end, or one and a half 
inches square, usually larger at one end than the other, and 
they should be about eight or ten inches longer than the dis- 
tance between joists of the tobacco-house. As the tobacco cures 
they may be pushed up closer. After the house is filled, some put 
large fires under it, as soon as it has turned yellow, and by hot 
fires it dries at once and does not change color, unless to increase 



534 

the brightness; but "firing" gives it a smoky smell and taste 
that is not much liked by buyers. The cost of labor and loss 
of wood, and the risk of losing tobacco and house too, are great 
objections well urged against firing. The better plan is to have 
suflScient house-room, and hang it thin in houses not too large, 
which have windows and doors so as to admit light and air, and 
by closing them in bad weather, exclude the rain and damp- 
ness, which materially damage the tobacco, besides injuring the 
color of it. 

Sfripj^ing. — After becoming dry and well cured, the stems 
of the leaves being free from sap, the lirst mild damp spell 
of weather it will become pliant and may then be stripped otf 
the stalk. It is first pulled or taken off the sticks and put in 
piles, then the leaves are stripped off, tied and put in bundles 
of about one-fifth or sixth of a pound in each. The bundles 
are formed by wrapping a leaf around the upper part of the 
handful of leaves for about four inches, and tucking the end in 
the middle of the handle to confine it. There ought, if the 
crop will permit, to be four kinds of tobacco, '^yellow," '^bright," 
^^dull," and "second" When the tobacco is taken down, the 
"cullers" take each plant and pull ofl" the defective leaves that 
are next to the big end of the stalk, and then throw the plant 
to the next person, who strips off all of the bright leaves, (and 
if there ai'e any yellow leaves, he lays them on one side until 
he has got enough to make a bundle,) and throws the plant to 
the next person, who takes off all the rest, being the "£?m/^;" 
and the respective strippers, as they get enough leaves in hand 
to make a bundle, throw one side for convenience sake to bulk. 
Stripping never should be done in dry or harsh weather, unless 
the tobacco is bulked up almost as fast as stripped. The best 
plan is not to take down more than you can conveniently tie 
up in a few hours; but if the planter chooses, he may take 
down a large quantity and put it in large bulk, stalk and all, 
and cover it with tobacco-stalks, and it will keep for many days, 
so that no matter how the weather be, he can strip out of the 
bulk. However, this is a very bad and wasteful way. Tobacco 
should not be too moist or " high," as it is termed, when put in 
stalk bulk, or it will get warm, the leaves stick to the stalk, 
get a bad smell and change color ; besides, if left too long, it 
will rot. 



535 

Bulking and Conditioning. — To bulk tobacco requiroB judgment 
and neatness. Two logs should be laid parallel to each other, 
about thirty inches apart, and the space between them filled with 
sticks for the purpose of keeping the tobacco from the damp- 
ness of the ground. The bundles are then taken one at a time, 
spread out and smoothed down, which is most conveniently 
done by putting it against the breast and stroking the leaves 
downwa'rd smooth and straight with the right hand. It is then 
passed, two bundles at a time, to the man bulking. He takes 
them and lays them down and presses them with his hands ; 
they are laid, two at a time, in a straight line — the broad part 
of the bundles slightly projecting over the next two — and two 
rows of bundles are put in a bulk, both rows carried on together, 
the heads being on the outside, and the tails just lapping one 
over the other in regular succession. The bulk, when carried 
up to a convenient height, should have a few sticks laid across 
to kee'p it in place. It must often be examined, and if getting 
warm it ought to be immediately changed and laid down in 
another bulk of less height, and not pressed as it is laid down ; 
this is called " wind-rowing;" being loose and open, it admits 
the air between the rows of bundles, hence the term. The next 
process in this troublesome, but beautiful crop, is to "condi- 
tion" it for ^'■packing.'" The bright, yellow^ and second tobacco 
will condition, but most generally in such bulbs as I have just 
described, but it is best to hang up the dull as soon almost as 
stripped. If the bright or second do not dry thoroughly in the 
bulks, that should also be hung up in the house to become well 
dried. To properly hang up tobacco to condition, small-sized 
sticks should be procured, and each one nicely smoothed Avith 
the drawing-knife, and kept for that purpose. After it has once 
been perfectly dry, either banging up or in bulks — so dry that 
the heads are easily knocked off, and the shoulders of the bun- 
dles crack upon pressure like pipe-stems — it should be taken 
down, or if in bulks, removed, the first soft, moist spell of 
weather, as soon as it is soft and yielding enough, as it will 
become too dry to handle without crumbling or breaking, and 
it must be put in four or six-row bulks of any convenient length 
and height, the higher the better, laid down close, so that as 
little of the leaves or shoulders as possible be exposed on the 
outside of the bulk. When completed put sticks and logs of 



536 

wood, etc., on the top so as to weigh it down. Here it will 
keep sweet and in nice order for packing at any time, no mat- 
ter what the weather be; if it was conditioned properly, it will 
not change a particle while in the condition-bulk. 

Packing. — Mild, soft, pleasant weather is the best to pack 
tobacco in the hogshead. The size of the hogsheads is fixed 
by law, forty inches in the head and fifty-two in the length. 
Almost any wood will answer to saw into hogshead stuff; the 
best, of course, is that which is strong but weighs light, such 
as gum, or beech, or birch, or poplar. No hogshead ought to 
weigh over one hundred pounds, and staves drawn out of red 
oak, or other, which make the best, but are too costly, ought 
not to weigh over ninety pounds. 

Having got our tobacco in good order, our hogshead ready, 
etc., the first mild day that we can spare, we proceed to pack- 
ing. Let me observe that while putting the tobacco in condi- 
tion-bulks, all of the bundles that were soft or had an ill smell 
ought to have been laid one side to be made sweet and dry by 
a few hours in the sun. The same precaution must be observed 
while packing. In putting tobacco into the hogshead for pack- 
ing, a man gets in with shoes off, and lays one bundle at a time 
in a circle, beginning in the middle, and each circle is extended 
until the outer circle reaches the staves of the hogshead ; a 
single row of bundles is then laid all round the edge of the 
heads of the last circle, then across the hogsheads in pai'allels 
with the former, always keeping the middle the highest ; this 
is called a course. These courses are continued until the hogs- 
head is filled. The man who packs, presses with his knees each 
bundle in each course, and often stands upon his feet and tramps 
heavily, but cautiously, all around and across, so as to get in as 
much as possible. 

This concludes the almost ceaseless round of labor that is 
necessary to prepare for market this important staple of our 
country. 

The following is by Christian Schneider, Madison County, 
111. (Translated by Ferdinand Schlueter.) 

Introduction. — As in other kinds of farming, the culture of 
tobacco varies in different localities, and every cultivator must 
modify the hints here given to suit his own particular soil and 
location. The principal thing is, to understand the nature of 



537 

the plant, that is, the necessary requirements of soil, climate 
and culture, and the reason why all the work connected with its 
culture is done ; for this must be adapted to the end aimed at ; 
and not only may be different under other circumstances, but 
often must be so. I have, therefore, tried to explain why the 
work is done, and how, in my location, (Central Illinois,) I have 
most succeeded in growing the crop. 

1. Raising Plants from Seed. — Eaising tobacco plants from 
seed is somewhat similar to raising cabbage-plants, but is dif- 
ferent in two important things : It takes considerably more 
time for the seed to sprout, (six weeks,) and, on account of dis- 
turbing the roots, cannot well stand weeding. Therefore the 
principal care in providing the seed-bed is, to prepare for the 
early starting of the seed, and to have the bed free from all 
weed-seeds. In the West we prepare the seed-bed in the fol- 
lowing manner : we take a plot of land — newly cleared land 
is preferred — sloping southward and protected against winds; 
The bed should be four feet broad and eight long ; on this we 
pile brush, wood and heavy logs, sufficient to keep up a strong 
fire for at least one hour and burn it. When the coals begin to 
die out, or before the soil is cold, the bed is cleared off, and only 
the fine ashes are left, then it is hoed thoroughly and as deep 
as the strongest heat has penetrated, after which it is raked 
cross and lengthwise, until the soil is entirely pulverized. Every 
thing that might hinder the growing of the plants, and their 
taking out afterwards, is carefully removed. On this bed a 
thimbleful of seed, well mixed with a few handsful of ashes or 
earth, is sown broadcast, and tramped in with the feet, or 
slapped with the underside of the spade or any other suitable 
instrument. After this, the bed is thoroughly wetted with a 
weak manure-water, twelve pounds of hen-droppings, or one 
pound of soot in ten gallons of water and lightly covered with 
straw. The seed-bed does not need much attention at first, if 
the weather remains mild ; but if there is danger of night- 
frosts, a layer of brush must be made, and on this a layer of 
straw two to four inches thick, according to the degree of frost. 
The straw is removed in the morning and put on again at 
evening, leaving it off entirely when the nights are mild. Al- 
though the seed-bed is ready now, it must not be left to itself, 
and requires some care. The plants must always have sufficient 



538 

moisture, and if timely rains do not fall, they must be watered 
with weak liquid manure as often as needed. Should weeds 
appear, notwithstanding all precautions, they must be removed 
with the utmost care. The above mentioned quantity of seed 
is sufficient to raise plants for one acre. 

Whoever is in possession of a hot-bed can raise the plants 
much easier ; he can sow later and have plants earlier and 
with more certainty. But even the common bed may be made 
into a kind of hot-bed. The burned and hoed surface-soil is re- 
moved and put on one side, then one foot of fresh hoi'se-dung is 
laid on the sub-soil, and the surface soil put back again. 
Boards may be placed around, cross pieces laid over them, and 
the straw covering put on these. 

The earlier the yoxing plants are ready for transplanting the stirer 
the tobacco crop will be. March is the latest to make the seed-bed 
in the open air, and June the latest for transplanting. Some 
time may be gained by keeping the seed in damp earth in the 
room, and sow it in the seed-bed just before it commences to 
sprout. 

For seed I recommend the following varieties : 1. Connecti- 
cut seed-leaf, principally for cigar wrappers ; 2. Cuba, for fillers 
and wrappers ; 3. Maryland ; 4. Virginia, the last two princi- 
pally for smoking and chewing tobacco. For snutf everything 
may be used, the refuse and even the stems. The Connecticut, 
Maryland and Virginia j'ield the largest crops, the Cuba the 
smallest but best. The first varieties yield about one thousand 
pounds, the latter five hundred pounds. In very favorable 
seasons double the amount may be raised. All tobacco seed, 
which is removed from its native clime and soil, will deteriorate, 
and the seed must be renewed from its native place, although 
the seed may, when it finds favorable soil, etc., yield just as 
good, if not a better variety. 

To raise seed, leave the best and strongest plants for this pur- 
pose. The suckers only are removed, and the leaves left on the 
plant, until the seed is ripe. 

2. The Soil and its Preparation. — In a suitable climate tobacco 
may be raised in every good cultivated soil. But what is " suit- 
able climate?" Which ai*e the northern and southern boun- 
daries of its culture ? We consider only the practical side of 
the question, and answer, tobacco can be raised as far north as 



5:j9 

corn, and aw far Houth as the Kugar-cane. Wherever corn ma- 
tureH fully, tobacco will al80 mature, if properly cultivated. For 
U8 in the WcHt, and for all the localities that have not an over- 
amount of heat, experience has proved, that a dry, warm soil, 
(loam or sandy loam,) rich, deep and containing lime, is most suit- 
able for tobacco. The more sandy, to a certain degree, the soil 
is, the better will be the quality of the tobacco ; the nearer the 
soil is to clay, the poorer will be the crop under similar circum- 
stances, although the yield may yet be satisfactory. Clayey 
soil will hardly produce tobacco suitable for cigars. Wet and 
tough clay soils are under no circumstances suitable to tobacco. 

Tobacco lands require also: 1st. Protection against winds. 
Where this is not done by nature, it may be artificially done by 
planting several rows of pole-beans a few steps apart. 2d. There 
must be no standing water. This is best prevented by deep 
plowing, by which the water will sink into the soil, where it 
belongs. 

The land must be plowed deep, eight to twelve inches, and 
harrowed thoroughly until it is as fine as good garden soil. This 
is best done by plowing in the fall, exposing the hard and rough 
furrows to the frost; after the soil is dry in spring, it should be 
harrowed thoroughly, and then plowed and harrowed again for 
a second, and if necessary, for a third time, and rolled before 
planting. The different plowings, etc., should of course be done 
at intervals long enough to allow the land to settle. This is the 
ti-eatnient of soil that has been cultivated with the plow before 
tobacco is grown on it. It is somewhat different with newly 
turned (virgin) soil, or a clover-field, or a meadow, which the to- 
bacco particularly likes. Deep and thorough working is the 
rule here also, but it is done in somewhat different way. In the 
virgin soil, all the roots must be picked up, because they would 
make the soil too loose for the secure insertion of the plant, and 
then they would hinder the cultivation with the hoe and the 
plow to a great degree. Meadows and clover-fields are broken 
up about three weeks befoi-e planting, eight to ten inches deep, 
taking care that the furrow is entirely turned, so that the grass 
is brought to the bottom. After eight to fourteen days, when 
the soil has settled, it is thoroughly harrowed in the direction of 
the furrows, to prevent the sod being turned up again, which 
must remain below undisturbed. Shortly before planting the 



540 

soil is harrowed again, and if necessary it is rolled and har- 
rowed once more. This time it may be done crosswise. This 
treatment of meadows and clover-fields has these advantages : 
the newly turned sod prevents the weeds from coming up, and 
the underturned grass acts as a manure, and if the seed-bed 
should fail, (which may be the case,) the woi-k of breaking up 
the soil is not lost, as other crops may be raised. 

" Tobacco makes the land poor." — This is experienced wherever 
tobacco is grown, and not only individuals, but whole countries 
have ruined their soil with this crop so thoroughly, that it re- 
mained barren for a long time after. Whoever, therefore, cul- 
tivates this hungry plant for more than a mere plaything, must 
be careful that he does not exhaust his land. He must not only 
possess a naturally rich soil, but must have plenty of manure at 
his disposition, and must follow a system of rotation. The 
writer of this is of the opinion, that the tobacco itself does not 
require much manure, if planted for the first time on other- 
wise good and rich soil, and that even animal manure will in- 
jure the tobacco for making cigars, and for smoking; but he 
does believe, that for the crop following the tobacco, manuring 
cannot be done too early, and too heavily. The manures are 
very different, and equally useful for the different kinds of to- 
bacco. We may classify' them as follows : 

To be applied shortly before planting, and in equal quantities, 
for all kinds of tobacco : 1. Guano, 200 to 300 pounds on the 
acre; 2. Poultry-droppings, 400 to 500 pounds; 3. Green ma- 
nure in any quantity ; 4. Sheep-dung, 6 two-horse loads ; 5. 
Cattle manure, 10 two-horse loads. 

For chewing tobacco and snuff: 1. Sheep-dung, 10 to 12 loads 
per acre ; 2. Cattle manure, 20 to 30 loads ; 3. Horse-dung, 15 to 
25 loads ; 4. Hog manure, 20 to 30 loads. The last two are use- 
less for smoking tobacco, or for that to be used for cigars. 

The first three manures (guano, poultry-droppings, and green 
manure) must be followed after the tobacco crop, by a plentiful 
supply of stable-manure. The tobacco-stalks themselves, rotted 
or burned to ashes, sown over the field before the transplanting, 
or in the planting-furrows, will act as a good manure, but are 
not sufiicient. In highly-worked farms, that is, where the soil 
is valuable, and cannot remain idle, it will pay every way, to 
sow rye for fodder on the tobacco land in the fall; this may be 



541 

made into hay, or turned under as manure at the beginning of 
July, just as may seem most profitable. Deep plowing for the 
rye, and afterward for the tobacco, must not be forgotten. 

As a rotation for tobacco, I would recommend: first year, 
corn, potatoes, cabbage, or any hoed crop ; second year, spring 
barley, with clover; third year, clover; fourth year, the clover 
plowed under at the beginning of June, and tobacco ; fifth year, 
wheat, Nos. 1 and 4 to be manured. Or, if the richness of the 
clover is intended for wheat, which also pays well for this extra 
care, and if green rye is to be plowed under for tobacco ; first 
and second year, as above; third, clover ; the third growth 
plowed under, and wheat harrowed in ; fourth, wheat ; in the 
fall the field is plowed, and rye sown ; fifth, green rye plowed 
under, and tobacco. Nos. 1 and 5 to be manured. 

Or, if more wheat is desired, first, second, third, fourth and 
fifth years as above, and wheat the sixth year. Nos. 1 and 5, 
and if any way possible, No. 6 to be manured. I consider the 
last rotation the best. It will give, in six years, three straw- 
crops, which are much needed for manure. The grain-crop of 
barley and wheat is sure, and it don't happen as in the second, 
that a hoed crop follows the tobacco, which is also a hoed crop. 
Tobacco is planted on the same field again in seven years, an 
interval long enough not to ruin the soil. The benefit for to- 
bacco in this rotation, coQsists in the lasting qualities of the 
green clover and rye, plowed under. 

3. Transplanting. — As soon as the seedlings are of the size of 
cabbage plants, that is, having four leaves, and being four to six 
inches high, they are ready for transplanting. The first thing 
is, to lay out the land in planting-rows with the one-horse plow, 
as for corn, and from north to south, if a steep slope does not 
make another way necessary. These rows are either furrows 
or ridges, according to whether there is little or much rain ex- 
pected, or as the soil is porous or not. The furrows give the 
plants shadow, and protect the soil from drouth by the sun or 
winds ; the ridges allow all the sun, and protect from dampness. 
In this respect the planter must be govei'ned by experience. 
Eidges and furrows may be omitted, especially in small planta- 
tions. A strong cord is stretched over the whole width of the 
field, by stakes at each side, and one in the middle ; along this 
cord the plants are inserted at regular distances, which are 



542 

shown by some mark on the cord. "When one row is planted, 
the cord is removed to the next, and the planting done in the 
same manner, and so on, until the field is done. This method 
has the advantage, that the soil may be made fine with the 
hoe shortly before the inserting of the plant, if it has not been 
done sufficiently with horse-labor. However the rows may be 
made, they must be equally far apart, and so with the plants in 
the rows. The distance of the rows and of the plants depends 
upon the room which the plant occupies when fully grown, and 
is, therefore, different with the several varieties of tobacco, Cuba 
is satisfied with the smallest space, while the other varieties 
need more. The distance apart also depends somewhat upon 
the richness of the soil, for very rich sodl will grow larger leaves 
than ])oor soil ; and then it must be considered whether the after 
cultivation is to be done entirely by human labor, or partly by 
horse-power. The farthest distance for Maryland, Virginia, 
and Connecticut, is with the rows four feet, and the plants three 
feet in the row ; for Cuba, the rows three feet, and the plants 
two feet. In Central Illinois, we do best by making the rows 
three and a half feet, and the plants three feet apart in the rows 
for the first three varieties — so we get seven thousand Cuba, 
and four thousand two hundred plants of the other kinds, on 
the acre. 

It is handy in large plantations, and even necessary, when 
the work is to be done with horse-power, to have a wagon-road 
around the field and through the centre, this makes the work 
at harvest-time much easier. 

When the rows are made and the plants are large enough, 
then the planter must watch for a mild rain and one or two 
cloudy days. If the weather is favorable, he must lose no time, 
but go to work with all the hands at his disposal. Notwith- 
standing the hurry, everything must be done methodically and 
in proper order; for all carelessness in transplanting tobacco is 
severely punished by the necessity of renewing plants that 
don't grow, and up to its maturity the same care must be ob- 
served, even in selling the yield. The seed-bed is thoroughly 
wetted, so that the roots will not be hurt while pulling up the 
plants, and the earth not disturbed around remaining ones. 
The largest plants are taken out at first, and only as many as 
can be planted in half a day. As soon as taken up they are 



543 

tied in bundles of one hundred, laid in a basket and covered. 
They are inserted, not deeper than they stood in the bed, in a 
hole, made with the fingers or with a trowel, and the soil then 
squeezed around the plant again. This work is continued the 
whole day, in cloudy weather, until completed. But if there is 
no rain and no cloudy days, and the transplanting cannot be 
postponed any longer, then the grower must water the plants 
at transplanting, and cover them immediately after. This re- 
quires the additional help of three workmen, namely, one who 
waters, one that puts dry earth around the watered plant, so 
that no lumps will form there, and the third to cover the plants. 
Transplanting under these circumstances can only be done 
mornings and evenings, and should even be done only towards 
evening. If the weather has been cloudy at the time of trans- 
planting, and hot weather sets in the next or the second day, 
then aieo the plants must be covered. Covering is done with 
light, dry leaves or straAv. After the transjj Ian ting is done, 
care must always be taken that the plants, until they are rooted, 
are not suifering from moisture, and it may be necessary that 
they be watered a second time. Dead or weak plants must be 
removed and replaced by healthy ones. 

4. Work until Harvesting. — This work is done partly for the 
benefit of the soil and for that of the plants themselves. The 
working of the soil is for keeping it open to the influences of 
the atmosphere and to destroy the weeds, and will forward the 
growth of the plant, for experience has proved that only soil 
that is open and free of weeds will secure the full development 
of the plants. Loosening and stirring the soil from time to 
time is, therefore, not only beneficial, but necessary, especiall}'^ 
when the soil is hardened by heavy rains, or a crust has formed 
through other influences, or when weeds appear. For the first 
loosening, which should be done shortly after the plants have 
rooted, a furrow-harrow, a one-horse harrow with teeth slant- 
ing forward and the cross-beams so arranged that they can be 
set two to three and a half feet apart, is the best implement ; 
for the second and third, the cultivator, or if the soil gets 
hardened below the surface, or when many seeds are in their 
way, the common corn-plow should be used. This is the work- 
ing between the rows. In the rows between the plants, where 
the working is even more important, it must be done with the 



544 

hand-hoe. Care must always be taken not to damage the roots, 
and at the second and especially at the third hoeing, the soil 
must be drawn toward the plants, partly to protect them 
against storms and give them a stronger hold, and partly to 
absorb excessive moisture. 

The soil must never be worked while wet. Where help is 
plenty, it is better to dispense with all horse-work ; the plants 
can be put closer together, a larger crop is gained, less damage 
is done to the plants, and in closing up the account the culti- 
vator, with human labor, will not be the loser. The working of 
the soil, it will be seen, is not what makes the tobacco culture 
so laborious and expensive. It is the care of the plants, of 
which I shall now speak. 

From the first starting of the tobacco plant, it has its ene- 
mies. First appears a cut-worm that works in the soil and eats 
the roots off. Then comes a little caterpillar which enjoys 
itself on the young leaves, and lastly the beautiful and large 
tobacco-worm, which eats into the leaf, and in a short time 
leaves nothing but the leaf-stems and stalk. The only remedies 
against these enemies are the vigilance and industry of the 
planter — looking after them, digging up, picking and destroying 
once or twice a day, or often as there are any traces of them. 
Children, to whom premiums are offered, will be very success- 
ful in destroying them. (Premiums are a very good thing all 
over, and are the reason wh}'- this treatise is written.) A herd 
of turkeys, if given access to the tobacco-field, are a very val- 
uable help. A negro from South Carolina told me a few days 
ago, that a solution of blue vitriol in water, sprinkled over the 
plants, will kill the worms. The remedy may be worth trying. 
Of course the solution must be made weak enough, so that it 
will not destroy the plants as well as the worms. 

Priming. — The object of priming is to break off the leaves 
that come out too near the ground, which when large lie flat on 
it, and, therefore, rot or get dirty. This work should be done 
early, the sooner the better, so that the plant does not lose 
much strength by their growing. The leaves must not be torn 
off, especially not downward, because the plant would be in- 
jured, and instead of throwing the strength gained into the 
other leaves, it would be thrown away to heal the wound. The 
distance from the ground this priming should be done, depends 



545 

upon the variety grown and upon the time at which the work 
is done : four to six Inches is the right distance. This priming 
is not done by every one. One farmer may practice it, while 
his neighbor does not; but sorts the lower leaves separately, 
and sells them as so-called "lugs," for which he gets a little over 
half the price of the good upper leaves. Those who do not 
prime, must generally fo;; lower, or they must risk that the 
whole plant, or at least the upper leaves, will not mature fully. 

Topping is done to throw the strength, which would go to 
develop seeds, into the leaves. It must, therefore, be done as 
early as the seed-buds show themselves, if not earlier. This 
work must be done, and the question is, how to do it. If there 
ai*e but few leaves on the plant, even these will not ripen, if it 
is not topped ; if there are many, then the grower has the 
choice either to break off the flower-stalk only or to take off 
one or rfiore leaves also. This should be done in answer to the 
questions : Ist. Is there time enough to ripen even the upper 
leaves fully? and 2d. Are the plant and the soil strong enough 
to ripen all leaves, even the upper ones? The answers to these 
queries will decide the way of topping. If yes, he takes off 
the flower-stalk only ; if no, he tops to eight, ten, twelve, four- 
teen or sixteen leaves, according to his judgment, that is, he 
allows so many leaves to remain on the plant. Here will be 
seen the importance and benefit of starting the plants early 
from seed. This alone may increase the yield one-half 

Suckering follows shortly after topping, and is done for the 
same reason — to concentrate the strength of the plant in the 
leaves. A sucker is a little branch appearing at the place where 
the stem of the tobacco-leaf joins the stalk. They draw off 
nutriment, while they will never be good for anything, and, 
therefore, must be removed. This is one of the tiresome opera- 
tions in tobacco culture, for these suckers do not all appear at 
the same time; they first appear on the lower leaves, and then 
on the middle, and lastly at the top leaves. They even push 
out again sometimes after they have been removed. They de- 
mand the planter's whole attention, and he has no rest on 
account of them, until the plant is fully matured. 

Priming, topping and suckering must not be done during a 
rain, or when the dew is on the plants, or they will get rust- 
35 



546 

spots, which will get larger every day and at last destroy the 
whole leaf. 

Harvesting . — The maturity of tobacco is seen, if the leaves, 
which were green up to now, when held against the sun, show 
yellowish, reddish or brownish spots, feel sticky, and when bent 
break off short and clean. Before this period sets in, the dry- 
ing-house should be in good order. The house is built to give 
room for the free hanging up of the tobacco, so that it is pro- 
tected from the sun, wind and rain, and is allowed to dry by 
the free circulation of the air. Any building, therefore, will 
answer which has a good roof, boarded sides, and enough win- 
dows and air-holes (which can be closed at will) to keep up a 
mild circulation of air inside, and also to keep out strong and 
too quick drying winds. If the tobacco is grown on a large 
scale, the house should have large doorways to drive a wagon 
in and out. There must be sticks all over the house, either 
cross or lengthwise, and these sticks must be ready and in their 
places. I^ow the work of harvesting the crop is commenced 
on a clear or cloudy but not rainy day. The mature plants 
(those not ripe are left longer on the field if not too late in the 
season) are cut off near the ground, two of them tied together 
by the butt-ends and hung up in the field on riders, which rest 
on two forks fastened in the ground, and they are left there 
until evening to wilt;- then they are brought to the drying- 
house and hung up. The tobacco is hung up on the upper 
sticks first, and the work continued downward ; care is taken 
that the sticks are six to eight inches apart, also that the plants 
are not too near together on the sticks, because the air should 
have free passage among the plants, and when they touch or 
rub against each other, unsightly spots are produced. The 
sticks must be pretty wide, so that the two plants which are 
tied together, and one of which hangs on each side, are held 
well apart. Later, when the tobacco has dried off somewhat, 
the sticks and plants may be moved a little nearer to each 
other ; but the plants on the upper sticks must not touch those 
on the lower ; they should be so arranged that one lower stick 
is just in the middle of the space between two upper ones. 

Another method of harvesting may be followed by those 
who cultivate tobacco on a small scale, or who have hands and 



547 

time enough. As all the leaves on the plant do not ripen at the 
same time, but the under leaves are always a little earlier than 
the upper ones, they may gather the crop in the leaf, that is, 
taking only the matured leaves from the stalk ; this must be 
done daily, and so long as there are leaves on the stalk. In 
this way the crop will be harvested slower, and it will cost 
more, but the tobacco will be of more even quality and better. 
The leaves are strung on strings instead of being hung up on 
sticks, with the same care and precautions as recommended for 
hanging up the whole plants. After the leaves are off, the 
stalks must be cut off or pulled up, for they would still vegetate, 
and needlessly take away nourishment from the soil. 

No more tobacco leaves or plants should be cut than can be 
taken to the drying-house and hung up the same day. Mild, 
clear weather will be beneficial for drying; strong and rough 
winds "v^ill do it too quick, and wet, damp weather will hinder 
it altogether. Should the latter continue for some time, the 
place of the sticks or strings must be changed, and if, notwith- 
standing this, the tobacco gets mouldy, it must be "fired." A 
fire is built in one or more excavations in the ground of the 
house, and the heat and smoke are allowed to go as evenly as 
possible through the plants. Care must be taken that the fire 
does not get too near the tobacco, so that it gets singed or 
burned. The place directly above the fire should, therefore, be 
free of tobacco. Stoves, with pipes to convey the smoke (which 
is of no value in drying) outside of the house are still better. 
The heat in the house may be kept up to eighty or ninety 
degrees. 

The best arrangements for drjnng will not be of much avail 
unless the tobacco has been fully matured before harvesting, 
for if this has not been the case it will never lose the well 
known "green taste," and no after manipulation, no drying or 
sweating, will free it. 

Curing. — When the leaves are dry, which is seen when the 
stems become of a brown color, and break when bent, the next 
work is to make tobacco out of them, for up to now we have 
nothing but a tasteless, dry weed. Its hidden qualities must 
be developed. This is done by a process of fermentation, the 
sweating of the tobacco. 

The leaves are broken one by one from the stalks, in damp 



548 

weather, (otherwise they would break,) stretched out nice and 
even, and, with the ends in the same direction, put up in heaps. 
These heaps, of which every workman makes one, are after- 
wards put into one or more large conical heaps, from four to six 
feet in diameter at the base, and from one and a half to two 
feet at the top. These are covered with woollen blankets, straw 
mats, or anything that will press the heap lightly and shut out 
the air. In twenty-four to thirty hours a fermentation sets in, 
the heap gets warm, and when it is so hot inside that the hand 
cannot bear it very well, the heap is broken up and packed over 
again, pulling the tobacco that had been outside upon the inside, 
and vice versa, and treating the same way as at first. In such 
heaps the tohacco remains twenty to forty days, until all the 
heat is gone ; then the heaps are again broken up in damp 
weather, the leaves tied up in bundles of one-half to one pound 
in weight, stretched even and packed in boxes or hogsheads, 
pressed tightly and covered. Now the tobacco is done — is a 
saleable article. 

The process of sweating must be conducted with every pos- 
sible care, for on this depends the color of the tobacco, and in a 
large degree its fine flavor. If the fermentation is too strong, 
the tobacco gets black and the flavor is driven out ; if too little 
fermented, the color remains green and whitish yellow, and the 
flavor is not developed. 

Those who raise the plant principally to get wrappers for 
cigars will need to sort it. 

Sorting is done right after the last breaking up of the heaps, 
and consists in laying the damaged leaves apart from the whole 
ones ; and these again are separated, according to color or other 
qualities, for wrappers, into two, three, or four different kinds, 
so that every variety is of the same quality and color. 

First quality — Color, dark brown ; even over the whole leaf. 

Second quality — Color, light brown ; even. 

Third quality — Color, dark yellow ; even. 

Fourth quality — Color, light yellow ; even. 

Fifth quality — Color, green, black, whitish yellow, spotted. 

The first four kinds include the larger leaves, while the smaller 
ones go into the fifth quality. 

Every kind is bundled by itself This work is not difficult, 
and increases the price considerably. The first three sorts, and 



549 

even the fourth, may be sold as wrappers, which bring the 
highest price. The fifth' is mixed with the damaged leaves to- 
gether, and sold for fillers, or chewing tobacco and snuff. 

An excellent article on Tobacco Culture in Maryland is 
printed in P. O. Kep. Agric. for 1867, by Mr. Walter Bowie. 
Bibb & Co. "Patent Tobacco 'firing and curing' apparatus" is i 
highly recommended. 

JAMESTOWN WEED; THORN APPLE ; STRAMONIUM, 
(^Datura stramonium, Linn.) Diffused ; grows abundantly in 
upper and lower districts ; Newbern. Fl, July. 

Trous. et Pid. Traite de Therap. et de M. Med. i, 230 ; Orfila, 
Traite de Toxicol. Journ. Univ. des Sci. Med. 47, 227 ; Ell. Bot. 
276; Drayton's View, 63; Edin. Med. and Surg. Journal, vii and 
viii, 1812 ; Trans. Med. Chirurg. Soc. Edin. i, 285 ; Archives 
Generales de Med. iv, 373 ; Med. Chirurg. Trans. Lond. vii, ann. 
1806 ; Bell's Pract. Diet. 434 ; Eberle, Mat. Med. ii, 80 ; Ed. and 
Vav. Mat. Med. 438; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 308; Frost's 
Elems. Mat. Med. 460 ; U. S. Disp. 688 ; Watson's Pract. Phy- 
sic, 197; De Cand. Phys. Veg. i, 354; Bayle, Bill. Therap. ii ; 
Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 17 ; Woodv. Med. Bot. 74, 197 ; Traite de 
Chimie, 81, 319 ; Paris's Pharm.; Bart. Essay Form. Mat. Med. 
48 ; New England Med. and Surg. Journ. iv, 226 ; Med. Chir- 
urg. Trans, vii, 2 ; Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 346 ; Cullen. Mat. 
Med. ii, 281 ; Bergii, Mat. Med. i, 122; Mer. and de L. Diet, de 
M. Med. ii, 593; Bull, des Sci. Med. de Ferus, xi, 197; Linden- 
stolpe, de Yenenis, 531, op. cit.; Sauvage, Nosol. ii, 430; Gred- 
ing, in Ludwig's Adversaria, i, 345 ; Murray's Apparat. Med. 
i, 670 ; Fowler, in Med. Comment, v, 161 ; Adhelius, cit. in Med. 
Com. Phil. Trans. Abridg. vi, 53 ; Rush, in Phil. Trans, i, 384 ; 
Schoepf, Mat. Med. 25 ; Wedinburg, Med. Comment, iii, 18 ; 
Beverly's Hist. Virginia, 121 ; Med. and Phys. Journal, xxv, 
xxvi ; Cooper, in Caldwell's Thesis, vol. i; Shec. Flora Carol. 
497 ; New York Med. Repos. ii, 27 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 294. 

A well known narcotic and anti-spasmodic, employed in 
mania, epilepsy, chorea, tetanus and palsy. 

Bergius frequently saw maniacs restored to perfect saneness 
of mind, which thej^ never afterward lost, by the continued use 
of the extract of our common stramonium; and by the same 
means he effectually cured the delirium so often attendant upon 
childbirth, where every other remedy had proved abortive. 



550 

Bull, des Plantes Ven. et Suspect, de France, i, 38; Dem. Elem. 
de Bot. ii, 75 ; Milne, Ind. Bot. 285. "Adhelius states that of 
fourteen patients who suffered under epilepsy and nervous affec- 
tions in a hospital at Stockholm, eight were completely cured, 
five relieved, and only one received no benefit. Thornton's 
Fam. Herb. 188; Woodv. Med. Bot. ii, 339; Storck, i, c. 5; 
Karnes in Comm. Nov. 1733, p. 251 ; Lobsten, Epistle ad Gur- 
ren, Plantes Ven. Alsat. Eph. Nat. Cur. cent, ix, obs. 94; Huckel 
in Comm. Nov. 1744, 14; Barrex, Essai sur I'Hist. Nat. de la 
France, 48; Buchner, Misc. Phys. Mat. 122. The seeds are 
soporific, and are said to induce delirium and a partial forget- 
fulness, and to be used by women in the East for purposes 
herein stated, viz : " Ab India alia inebriantia et aroniatica in 
electuarium recipitur semen, ad grata phantasmata cienda, et, ut 
quidem volunt, quo ad celera patranda, tanto audaciores evadant^ 
Ksempher, Exotic, 650. " Somnum facit adeo profundum ut im- 
pune pudicitia puellce violari possit, quce hoc toxicum sumserit.'" 
Haller, t. c. '■''A mulieribus infidis Turcis gynecaiis inclusis, ad 
consopiendos et dementandos maritos, quo aliorum majis desidera- 
torum amplexibus satientiir, usurpari, et Hamburgi a vetula sic 
honestam feminam, quo se inscia mcechuvi, admitteret, intoxicatum 
narratur." See Lindenstolpe, de Venenis, 631; Mer. and de L. 
Supplem. to Diet, de M. Med. 238, 1846. Dr. Begbie has given 
the extract with great success, in doses of one-quarter to one- 
half grain every four hours, in many cases of neuralgia. Eevue 
Med. iii, 57, and iv, 414. Dr. Fott relates the case of a young 
lady who was cured in six weeks of the tic douloureux by using 
eight to fifteen drachms of the tincture. Gazette de Sante Jan- 
vier, 1830, p. 8 ; Emploi du Sti-amonium dans I'Asthme Nerveux, 
Paris, 1835. Series of observations in relation to the use of the 
dried leaves as a purgative in the treatment of asthma, (in 
French.) Bull, de Therap. vi, 12, 336. Ducros' Observations 
on the efiicacy of the leaves of Bat. stramonium in a case of 
angina pectoris, from the Bull, de Therap. vii, 93. Serres' Ob- 
servations on the employment of extract of Stramonium in 
facial Neuralgia. Bull, de Therap. xiv, 51. F. Moreau, Mem. 
on treatment of Hallucination by Stramonium in Gazette Medi- 
cale, 373, 1841; see, also, Bibliotheque de Therap. by M. Bayle, 
ii, 249. Lindley, in his Natural System, says it is more particu- 
larly applicable in "mania without fever." The remedies for 



551 

poisoning by this plant are a speedy emetic, the free use of vege- 
table acids, strong coffee, etc. Dr. Fisher, President of the Mas- 
sachusetts Medical Society, found stramonium useful, remarks 
Bigelow, in those cases of epilepsy which are diurnal or have 
regular returns. It was unsuccessful in those which did not 
observe any regular period. In tic douloureux of long standing 
it is advised that it be taken in large doses, and that the system 
be kept under its influence. The leaf, prepared and smoked as 
tobacco, has been found to act as a palliative in asthma ; the 
root being useful in this respect. The remedy should never be 
used in plethoric cases, unless preceded by ample depletion. 
(U. S. Disp.) From the observations of Dr. Marcet, Phys. 
Guy's Hosp., taken internally it had proved very effectual in 
removing acute pains, and in those arising from chronic dis- 
eases, acute uterine affections, for instance. Decided benefit was 
obtaine4 from it in four cases of sciatica, and in two others 
complicated with syphilitic pains. Eberle used it in this dis- 
ease with entire success; and he states that his trials with 
it in rheumatism were exceedingly flattering. Dr. Chapman 
administered it in dysmenorrhoea. The employment of the 
ointment in allaying pain was known as far back as the time 
of Gerarde, 1507. It is eflBcacious in changing the coudition 
and promoting cicatrization; acetate of lead being employed 
with the ointment as an application to painful and irritable 
ulcers and hemorrhoidal tumors. Preparations of strajnonium 
applied to the eye, it is well known, diminish sensibility and 
dilate the pupil. I have seen the extract employed to a large 
extent in the New York Eye Infirmary, in which institution it 
had entirely taken the place of belladonna as an application for 
dilating the pupil. Its virtues reside in an extractive princi- 
ple, which is dissolved by water. The powder should be kept 
in closely stopped bottles ; the juice may be pressed out of the 
leaves with a bag. The ointment may be made with a jjound 
of the fresh leaves simmered in three of lard until the leaves 
become crisp, then strained and cooled gradually. Griflith 
Med. Bot. 461. It is often applied in inflammation of the 
breasts. The fresh leaves are often used as a dressing for 
wounds. 

An ointment made by stewing the seeds of the plant in lard 
and straining it, has a most soothing effect upon piles and in 



552 

irritable or inflamed conditions of the fundament accompanied 
with pain. I have known several cases in which it has given 
entire relief. It may be injected or the parts anointed with it. 
I make frequent use of the leaves in the formations of poultices 
for abdominal and other pains, where soothing applications are 
required. 

The peculiar properties of this plant depend upon a principle 
called daturia, very analogous to hyoscyamia, slowly dilating the 
pupil and exercising a poisonous influence. Mr. Morries, in Ed. 
Med. and Surgical Journal, xxxix, 379, has described an empy- 
reumatic oil obtained from it, closely allied to that from the 
foxglove. Stramonium is stated to be an acro-narcotic, very 
similar to belladonna, but acting in a more marked manner 
upon the secretory functions. Chapman says it is considered 
useful rather in allaying the excessive mobility of the system 
than in tending to the absolute cure of the complaint ; referring 
to its eff'ects in mania and epilepsy. Dr. Marcet regards its 
operation on the bowels as relaxing rather than astringent. 
The ointment has been recommended in nymphomania, to lessen 
venereal excitement. The dose of the powdered leaves is one 
grain, of the seeds half a grain ; of the extract of the seeds 
one-quarter of a grain, from the leaves one grain ; of the tinc- 
ture ten drops, to be increased if necessary. The tincture is 
made with four ounces of the bruised seed to two pints of 
diluted alcohol — macerate for fourteen daj'S. In dilating the 
pupil with the extract, preliminary to examination of a diseased 
eye by the catopric test, I have repeatedly found it lo allay 
supra-orbital pains. To relieve the latter, so often a distressing 
concomitant, we frequently prescribe it, with equal parts of 
mercurial ointment and thirty grains of mur. morphiw, as a 
local application. The plant while young and tender is readily 
collected, and eaten as a salad by soldiers in camp. 

I ofl'er no apolog}* for inserting the following relation which 
appeared during the war, for it only confirms statements ex- 
pressed above : 

It is not generally known that the Jamestown or Jimson 
Weed possesses almost the narcotic and soporiferous eftects of 
the gum opium or the celebrated Egyptian "hash-heesh ;" but 
such, we are assured, is the fact. A gentleman of undoubted 
veracity gives his experience in experimenting on its soporifer- 
ous qualities as follows : 



553 

" I was," says he, "tormented with toothache; and having 
tried every known remedy available without experiencing any 
relief, I was one day advised by an acquaintance to try the 
effects of the Jimaon weed, which he said he had never known 
to fail. His manner of application was, to gather up the seed 
from the pod, and smoke them in a common tobacco pipe. 
Eager to do something to alleviate my misery, I did as ho 
directed, and the result will show that it came near being the 
last act of my life. 

" 1 procured the seed and proceeded to smoke, and soon found 
that my misery was almost visibly abating, and that the effects 
of smoking were pleasant in the extreme, and momentarily 
growing more so. Without knowing the properties of the 
weed, and being so much elated at the calm that had succeeded, 
I continued to smoke on, momentarily growing more etherial, 
as I ifnagined, until finally I lost all terrestrial feelings and 
sympathies. Though possessing my faculties of understanding 
unimpaired, I was possessed of feelings whose incomparable 
happiness might have been envied by a houri. Visions, whose 
magnificent splendor surpassed the most vivid Oriental imagi- 
nation, were mine; stars, the most brilliant yet discovered, 
within my sight ; and music, the most delicious that ever syren 
sung, or that ever emanated from the harps of the muses, 
greeted my ears. My organs of sight were increased to such 
an extent that I could comprehend objects millions of miles 
distant. The machinery of the universe was laid open to my 
sight, and I could sec the myriads of planets as they trod the 
measured distances of their orbits, all in swift but mechanical 
regularity. 

" There was nothing my imagination could conjecture which 
was not almost tangibly visible. Eainbows of the most mag- 
nificent dyes were before me; chariots of the most precious 
metals were constantly passing and repassing before my vision, 
and, amidst all the wild confusion of beauty and grandeur, 
came measuredly the sublimest harmony of sweet sounds that 
made my soul swell within me. 

"All the time I was perfectly conscious of surrounding ob- 
jects and events, but requested to be left alone to the enjoyment 
of my translation, when my wife, seeing the deadly palor which 
was overspreading my countenance, sent immediately for a 



554 

physician, who arrived while I was yet ia my revery of the 
beautiful and sublime. 

" Finally, the vision faded from my view, and most unwil- 
lingly I began to return to dull mortality ; but with nerves out 
of order, and my whole system relaxed and unstrung. It was 
days before I recovered finally from the effects of it ; but my 
tooth was cured, and has never ached since. I would advise all 
who may read this not to let their curiosity prompt them to 
try the experiment, as it is attended with unknown danger." 

This plant being found so abundantly, and being possessed of 
such decided narcotic and sedative properties, much more use 
should be made of it in the composition of poultices, and where 
soothing and hot applications are required. It is believed by 
many to prevent tetanus and spasm when applied locally to 
painful wounds, ulcers, etc. It is largely used as a domestic 
remedy on our plantations, and with advantage. 

PUEPLE THOEN-APPLE, (Datura tatula, L.) Grows 
around Charleston. Fl. July and September. 

U. S. Disp. 690. "It possesses very much the same proper- 
ties as the D. stramonium,'' of which it is classed in Chapman's 
Bot. as a variety. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 599. The 
decoction of the leaves is employed in leprosy. Diet, des 
Drogues, ii, 56. Said to be aphrodisiac. 

Datura Metel, L. Int. N. and S. C. Curtis. 

2). 7netel, an Indian species, has long been known for its 
soporific and intoxicating powers, and has frequently been em- 
ployed with criminal intention ; Fleming Cat. Med. PI. Belou, 
in his " Singularities," 460, refers quaintly to it. He says that 
it gives sleep to the restless, makes people joyful, and removes 
the remembrance of things which cause melancholy and low 
spirits. See the original in French, in Griffith's Med. Bot. The 
seeds of the plant were considered to be aphrodisiac, and are 
said to have been used by courtesans in India and Turkey. 
Op. cit. 

GENTIANACBiB. (The Gentian Tribe.) 

Characterized by intense bitterness. 

SAMPSON'S SNAKEEOOT; BLUE GENTIAN, (Gentiana 
Elliotii, Chap. Fl. Gentiana Catesbcei, Ell.) Damp soils along 
rivulets ; collected in St. John's Berkeley ; vicinity of Charles- 
ton ; grows in Georgia also; Newbern. Fl. September. 



555 

Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 138; U. S. Disp. 348; Bell's Pract. 
Diet. 218 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 361 ; Coxe, Am. 
Disp. 304 ; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 359 ; Griffith Med. Bot. 
461. An excellent bitter tonic, "little inferior to the European 
gentian," introduced to notice by Dr. McBride, of St. John's 
Berkeley, South Carolina. It is frequently prescribed with ad- 
vantage in pneumonia, attended with typhoid symptoms, and 
in d^^spepsia. The virtues reside in a bitter extractive principle, 
soluble in water and alcohol. It may be advantageously com- 
bined with chalybeates. It is employed to some extent in 
popular practice at the South, and is found of much service as 
a substitute for bitters ; I have frequently prepared and used it 
as such. The decoction is the form prescribed in pneumonia. 
The saturated spirituous tincture is advised in dyspepsia and in 
debility of stomach, in doses of one-quarter to one-half of a 
fluid ounce. The root is oflBcinal; dose of the powder from 
fifteen to thirty grains. The compound infusion is made with 
one-half ounce of the root, orange peel and coriander, each, one 
drachm, cold water twelve fluid ounces, macerate for twelve 
hours ; dose, one fluid ounce. Dose of extract, ten to thirty 
grains. Given before meals it invigorates the stomach, increases 
the appetite, and prevents acidification of the food. In a fresh 
state these plants are said to prove cathartic in large doses. 

For extraction of " bitter principle " in plants, see Rural Cyc. 
435, vol. i. It is believed by many that the use of bitters in 
spring and autumn will counteract the action of malaria. They 
certainly prevent debility, and increase the digestive and nutri- 
tive powers, and thus indirectly act as prophylactics, even 
when they possess no positive virtue as anti-periodic agents. 
The various species of gentian, thoroughwort, sabbatia, dog- 
wood, poplar bark, willow, pipsissewa, or winter-green, wild 
cherry bark, sarracenia, etc., supply useful bitters. They may 
be collected and prepared by any one. Cold water extracts 
bitters, and alcohol may be added to preserve the infusion. I 
have prepared and used a tincture of the wild gentian since 
the war as an economical substitute for the tincture of bark. 

Gentiana purpurea, rubra, and lutea are used in England as 
substitutes for hops. No doubt our species would serve the 
same purpose; at any rate, they will give a bitter tonic property 
when used in the manufacture of ale, beer, etc. 



556 

Gentiana ochroleuca, W. Grows in damp soils; collected in 
St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. September. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, 340. It possesses properties somewhat 
similar to the above. 

Gentiana saponaria, L. G. catesbcei, Walt. Vicinity of 
Charleston. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 461. 

INDIAN QUININE; AGUE WEED, (Gentiana quinqueflora, 
FrI.) This and the G. sap. are esteemed fully equal to the im- 
ported gentian. In large doses they are said to be laxative. 
Dr. E. P. Wood, of Wisconsin, has given this plant with success 
in intermittent fever. Trans. 111. State Med. Soc. 1857. 

AM. CENTAURY, (Sabbatia angularis, Pursh. Chironia, 
Linn.) Grows in low soils along rivulets; collected in St. John's; 
vicinity of Charleston. 

EII. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 385 ; Chap. Therap. and Mat. Med. 
438; ii, 417; U. S. Disp. 611; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 
.344; Royle Mat. Med. 475; Eberle, Mat. Med. i, 307. See Chi- 
ronia, Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 147; Bart. M. Bot. 1255; Ed. and 
Yav. Mat. Med. 1176; Barton's CoUec. i, 15; Lind. Nat. Syst. 
Bot. 297; Griffith's Med. Bot. 459; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 
529. " This is a pure bitter, with tonic and stomachic proper- 
ties." Bigelow does not hesitate to attest its utility ; and Eberle 
considers it one of the most valuable of our indigenous remedies 
of this class ; employed in domestic practice in intermittent 
fever, but principally to invigorate the stomach and alimentary 
canal. Barton says it was given with success in certain stages 
of the yellow fever. The cold infusion of one ounce of the herb 
to one pint of boiling water, taken in doses of a wineglassful 
every two hours, may be used, or thirty grains to sixty grains 
of the powder, which also acts as a vermifuge. The decoction, 
extract and tincture may be used. 

Sabbatia stellaris, Ph. (Prodrom.) Sabbatia ^mci'fe, Mich. Ell. 
Sk. Grows in damp soils; Newbern ; vicinity of Charleston ; 
collected in St. John's ; sent to me from Abbeville by Mr. Reed. 
It possesses properties similar to the above. 

INDIAN LETTUCE ; AM. COLOMBO, (Frasera Carolinen- 
sis, Walt. Frasera Walteri, Mich.) Found in Fairfield and Ab- 
beville Districts; Newbern. 



557 

This genus was named after his friend Fraser, by Mr. Thomas 
"Walter, who resided on the Santee, where Jie cultivated many 
of the plants described in Latin in his " Flora Caroliniana ;" 
London, 1788. The writer will be pardoned for making this 
reference to a maternal ancestor, one of the earliest contributors 
to the Botany of the South, from whom has been derived a par- 
tiality for similar pursuits. A translation of this volume in 
English, in MSS., by Governor John Drayton, is preserved in 
the Charleston Library. 

Ell. Bot. McBride's Note, i, 205; Drake's Cincinnati, 86; Bart. 
Veg. Mat. Med. iii, 107 ; Eaf Med. Fl. i, 196 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 
297 ; Frost's Elems. Mat. Med. 534; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. 
Med. iii, 291 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 463. "A pure, powerful and 
excellent bitter, destitute of aroma." Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. In 
the recent state it is said to possess considerable emetic and ca- 
thartic power ; the root is employed as a tonic and febrifuge, 
and is substituted for the officinal Colombo with equal advan- 
tage, given during the convalescence from fevers. By the anal- 
ysis of Mr. Douglass, Am. Journal Pharm. vi, 157, it contains 
bitter extractive, gum, tannin, gallic acid, I'csin, fatty matter, 
sugar, etc. Griffith, in Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. iii, 269. In 
the recent state it is employed as a substitute for rhubarb, in 
doses of thirty grains to one drachm of the infusion of one 
ounce of the root to one pint of boiling water, of which a wine- 
glassful may be taken three times a day. It should be collected 
in the autumn of the second or spring of the third year. The 
root before being dried should be cut in transverse slices. An 
infusion is made with one ounce of the bruised root to one pint 
of boiling water ; dose, one or two fluid ounces. It is also useful 
prescribed as a tonic. This plant holds a deservedly high rank 
among our native tonics, and I would recommend its employ- 
ment to those residing in localities where it may be found. The 
tincture is given as a tonic, and the powdered plant applied ex- 
ternally to ulcers in the form of a poultice for its anti-septic 
powers. 

SPIGELIACEiE. {The Wormseed Tribe.) 

CAKOLINA PINK-ROOT, {Spigelia Marylandica, Walter.) 
Abundant in the lower portions of Carolina; collected in St. 
John's ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. May. 



558 

Lining, Essays and Obs. Phys. Lit. South Carolina, i, 386 ; 
Garden's Essay Phys. and Lit. iii, 145 ; iill. Bot. Med. Notes, 
237 ; Eberle, Mat. Med. ii, 376 ; Chalmers on the Weather and 
Diseases of South Carolina, i, 67; Frost's Bleras. Mat. Med. 187 ; 
Le. Mat. Med. ii, 377 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 142 ; Home, Chim. 
Exper. 420 ; Murray's App. Med. i, 548 ; Eoyle, Mat. Med. 469 ; 
Thompson's Inaug. Diss. Fenella, Journal de Pharm. ix, 197 ; 
Griffith, Phil. Journal Pharm. 1833 ; Bell's Pract. Diet. 433 ; Ed. 
and Yav. Mat. Med. 595; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 344; 
U. S. Disp. 680; Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 334 ; Bergii, Mat. Med, 
i, 96 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 502 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 
128 and 558; Bull, des Sci. Med. de Ferus, xi, 301; Lind. Nat. 
Syst. Bot. 299 ; Bart. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 80 ; Woodv. Med. Bot. ii, 
289. See Dr. Broeklesby's Obs. Med. 282 ; Griffith's Med. Bot. 
466. This plant is a well known indigenous anthelmintic, pos- 
sessed of narcotic and cathartic powers. Dr. Barton found it 
also useful in the fevers of children not proceeding from vermi- 
nous irritation, as from those, for instance, consequent upon 
hydrocephalus. The root contains a heavy, gross and volatile 
oil, a small quantity of resin, a peculiar bitter substance, spige- 
line, albumen, gallic acid, salts, etc. See Anal. Jourual de Pharm. 
ix, 197. According to Feneuille, spigeline is bitter, nauseant 
and purgative, and produces a sort of intoxication (ivresse.) 
The root is much more active in the recent state. With senna, 
it forms the well known and efficacious remedy called worm- 
tea: composed of spig. half an ounce; senna two drachms; 
savin half a drachm, and manna two drachms — to be infused in a 
pint of water and strained, of which one to two ounces may be 
given to a child. This dose does not excite narcotic symptoms. 
Chalmers' Hist, of South Carolina. Dr. Lining, of South Caro- 
lina, gave twelve grains of the root of this plant to an infant 
morning and evening ; ten to twenty grains may be given to 
one of seven, and one drachm to an adult, repeated two or three 
times a day ; or an ounce of the root infused in one pint of water, 
of which a half may be taken by an adult, and one or two spoons- 
ful by a child. When a full dose is given at night, it is well to 
follow it by a purge in the morning. Dr. J. P. Thomas informs 
me that his children drink the pink-root tea habitually as a bev- 
erage, and prefer it to the hj'son ; and in this way it proves 
prophylactic against worms. 



559 
APOCYNACE^. 

It contains species with purgative, acrid, and febrifugal 
properties. 

Forsteronia diffonnis, J). C. Prodrom. Echites diffowiis, Walter 
and Ell. Sk. A vine found sparingly in South Carolina; col- 
lected in St. John's, on Sarrazin PI. (Mrs. I. S. Porchcr's;) 
found also in the vicinity of Charleston. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 51. With milk, it is used 
as a wash for freckles. The juice is said to be sufficiently caustic 
to destroy worts and scirrhous excrescences. Any portion of 
the plant will coagulate railk. 

The juice of our species of Echites and Forsteronia (E. dif- 
formis, Ell. and Walt.) should be examined, for from this genus 
is obtained the highly poisonous Woorari (from E. suberecta) 
growing in Jamaica. 

INUIAN HEMP; DOG'S-BANE ; AMY-EOOT, (Apocynum 
cannabinum, L. A. pubescens, Ell. Sk.) Grows along fences in 
wet soils ; collected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; New- 
bern. Fl. July. 

Bell's Pract. Diet. 61; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 865 
Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. v, 136; Am. Journal Med. Sci. xii, 55 
Dr. Griscom, in op. cit.; U. S. Disp. 108; Am. Med. Rev. iii, 197 
Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 338 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
i, 368. This is a powerful emeto-cathartic, producing diapho- 
resis, and expectoration, inducing also a tendency to sleep, in- 
dependent of the exhaustion consequent upon vomiting. The 
evacuations brought on by it are large, feculent and watery ; 
and they are succeeded by perspiration. Am. Journal Med. Sci- 
loccit: "It diminishes the frequency of the pulse and induces 
drowsiness." This plant is one of our most powerful hydra- 
gogue cathartics and diuretics, and has frequently cured ag- 
gravated cases of ascites. It acts so decidedl}' in draining the 
system that Dr. Rush called it the "vegetable trocar." I have 
seen it used with advantage in dropsy by Dr. V. Mott among 
his clinical patients ; he employs it in cases of tonic dropsy, 
being too active for those of an atonic character, where iron 
would have been advisable. Dr. Knapp states, in his Inaug. 
Thesis, that fifteen to twenty grains of the powdered root would 
induce vomiting; he gave it in intermittent fever, in pneumonic 



560 

affections, in dysentery, and as an alterative in enteritis. Dr. 
Jos. Parrish cured an aggravated case of ascites by the decoc- 
tion of the plant, and Drs. Knapp and Griscom have found great 
service from its use in this disease. Am. Jour. Med. Sc, xii, 55. 
Dr. E. S. Cauthorn, of Ed., Va., has employed the bark of the 
powdered root in six grain doses, increased to three times the 
quantity, with success in the treatment of intermittent fever. 
Va. Med. Jour., ix, 425 ; U. S. Pisp., 12th Edition. I had reported 
its use in this class of fevers in my Eeport on Med. Bot. of S. C, 
1849. It acts as a sternutatory, and the fresh juice has been 
employed as an external application in some cutaneous affec- 
tions. By chemical analysis, it is shown to contain tannin, 
gallic acid, gum-resin, wax, fecula, caoutchouc, and a bitter 
principle, apocynin. Merat states, in the Supplem. to the Diet, 
de M. Med. 52, 1846, that the preparation called apocyne com- 
bines all its valuable constituents. Eevue Med. Oct. 1833, and 
Journal de Chim. Med. x, 95 et 567 ; see, also, Griffith Med, Bot. 
449. For its hydragogue or diuretic effect the decoction, made 
with one ounce of the root in one pint of boiling water, is given 
in doses of a wineglassful three times a day. The bark furnishes 
a fibre resembling hemp, of a whiter color, and superior in du- 
rability; and the decoction affords a permanent dye, brown or 
black, according to the mordant used. 

" This plant has been pi-oved by Prof. Thouin, of Paris, to 
possess a stronger fibre than that of hemp ; audit is used by the 
American Indians for making cordage, fishing nets, and coarse 
cloth. The name alludes to the noxiousness of the juice to 
dogs." Eural Cyc. See Urtica, Linum, Asdepias, for plants 
containing textile fibres. 

In St. John's Berkeley, S. C, this plant is known as " Amy 
root, or General Marion's weed," from its having been a favorite 
remedial agent in the camp of the partisan leader, and is es- 
teemed to possess great virtues in arresting intermittent fevers ; 
used as a substitute for quinine. It is generally given steeped 
in whiskey, or a decoction may be drunk as a tea. As the plant 
is also purgative, it affords a singular example of a bitter and a 
purgative united, hence its applicability as a stomachic in con- 
stipation, dyspepsia, and depraved conditions of the nutritive 
organs. A subject of violent asthma assures me that the decoc- 
tion gives her more relief than any other agent tried, possibly 



by promoting digestion. I have used it repeatedly since and 
always with benefit, no doubt dependent upon the nausea relax- 
ation and catharsis following its use. I have had detailed to 
me a very aggravated case of dropsy cured by the use of this 
plant in decoction, and I have seen it relieve two very aggra- 
vated cases under my own care. A patient with dropsy in the 
City Hospital, August, 1857, was purged and vomited violently 
by one wineglassful of a strong decoction which I ordered him, 
and I have seen it act upon delicate persons with entirely too 
much activity, so that it should not be used in too large doses. 
Dose of powdered root, fifteen to thirty grains. See next 
species. 

Dr. J. Gr. Goss in a paper in Tilden's Journ. of Mat. Med. pb. 
1868, recommends the combination of three to five grains each 
of cannabinum and nitrate of potash as u diuretic to be given 
every two or three hours ; or that the infusion should be com- 
bined with that of pipsissewa, one ounce of the former to two of 
the latter given every three hours. I have no doubt from my 
own experience with both agents that such combinations would 
be serviceable in ascites and anasarca. 

Dr. Goss states that a few grains of the apocynum given twice 
a day will remove ascarides. The active principle, the apocynin, 
is recommended by some recent writers in doses of fractional 
parts of a grain several times a day for its influence as a cata- 
lytic agent in hastening the disintegration and discharge from 
the system of the nitrogenous element, urates, phosphates, etc , 
hence useful in fevers, rheumatism and blood diseases. 

DOO'S-BANE; BITTER EOOT ; MILK WEED, (Apocy- 
nuni androscemifolium, L.) Grows in damp rich soils; vicinity of 
Charleston. 

Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii, 148 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 1, 
368 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 85 ; Kalm's Travels, 326 ; Griffith Med. 
Bot. 450. Thirty grains of the powder ot the recently dried 
root is emetic and diaphoretic, causing scarcely any previous 
nausea; so that it is suitable for evacuating the contents of 
the stomach without producing exhaustion or relaxation of 
the muscular system. It operates in this way as effectually as 
two-thirds of the quantity of ipecacuanha. The active property 
is diminished by keeping. As a diaphoretic, it is best com- 
bined with one grain of opium. Dr. Zolliekoffer considers it a 
36 



562 

useful tonic in doses of ten to twenty grains. The Indians use 
it in lues venerea. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. It is also 
employed by the vegetable practitioners. See Howard's Imp. 
Syst. Bot. Med. 291. It is supposed to contain a bitter extrac- 
tive principle, a coloring principle, soluble in water, caoutchouc, 
and a volatile oil. The wounded plant emits a copious milky 
juice. Dose as an emetic forty grains ; as a diaphoretic, the same 
quantity, with one grain of opium ; as a tonic or alterant from 
ten to twenty grains. 

The properties mentioned above closely resemble those as- 
cribed to the " Amy root " (A. cannabinum) by residents of St. 
John's, South Carolina, viz : a laxative united with a bitter 
principle 

The Eclectics use the active principle apocynin, extracted 
from both of our native species, m doses of two grains, two or 
three times a day. (See New Remedies by Wm. Paine.) It is 
stated that administered in half grain doses every hour, nausea 
may be kept up for a considerable time. They use it as a depu- 
ratory agent, as an aperient alterative and tonic in secondary 
syphilis, jaundice, constipation and dropsies, and often combine 
it with podophyllin, asclepin, hydrastin, etc. The dose of Til- 
den's Fluid Extract of A. andros. is ten to twenty drops, of the 
solid extract two to eight grains. The analogous preparations 
from the A. cann. are given in somewhat smaller doses. 

ASCLEPIADACEiE. 

Roots generally acrid and stimulating. Some of them emetic. 

Gonolobus macrophyllns, Mich. Variety a and b. Collected 
in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 328 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. 
iii, 409; Ann. du Museum, xiv, 464. It is one of the substitutes 
for colocynth. Merat says: "Cette apocynee des Etats Unis 
passe pour fournir le sue avec lequel les sauvages de ce pays 
empoisonnent leurs fleches." 

PLEURISY ROOT ; BUTTERFLY- WEED, (Asdepias tube- 
rosa, W. Asclepias decumbens, of some Bot.)- Grows abun- 
dantly in pine barrens ; collected in St. John's Berkeley ; New- 
bern. Fl. July. 

U. S. Disp. 127; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 347; Chap. 
Therap. and Mat. Med. i, 351 ; Ed. and Yav. Mat. Med. 345 ; Eberle , 



563 

Mat. Med. ii, 219 ; Ell. Eot. Med. Notes, i, 326 ; Big. Am. Med. 
Bot. ii, 65 ; Thacher's U. S. Disp. Bart.; M. Bot. i, 244 ; Lind. Nat. 
Sy8t. Bot. 304 ; Am. Med. Record, iii, 334 ; Frost's Elems. Mat. 
Med. 217; Bell's Pract. Diet. 82; Cullen, Mat. Med. i, 6; Mer. 
and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 467 ; De Cand. Prodromus, 458 ; 
Shec. Flora Carol. 220; Barton's Collec. 48; Lind. Nat. Syst. 
Bot. 304. This plant is actively diaphoretic and expectorant, 
without being stimulant. " It has the singular propertj^ of 
exciting general perspiration without increasing in any percep- 
tible degree the heat of the body." (Lindley, see A. decumbens.) 
In large doses it is purgative. It has been advantageously used 
in rheumatism, in most pectoral affections, catarrh, subacute 
pneumonia, and in phthisis, as a palliative. It has also been 
favorably employed in dysentery. Shccut says that thirty 
grains of the powdered root at a dose was much esteemed in 
this disease. Dr. McBride, of St. John's, South Carolina, ex- 
perimo«ted largely with it in pleurisy, generally finding it to 
act with advantage. Eberle used it; and Dr. Parker employed 
it for twenty years with continued confidence. It is sometimes 
called wind root, on account of the relief it gives in flatulence. 
Dr. Pawling, of Pa., says that when freely given it diminishes 
the volume and activity of the pulse, while it produces copious 
diaphoresis. Am. J. Pharm. xxxiii, 496 ; U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 
In a communication from Dr. John Douglass, of Chester Dis- 
trict, South Carolina, we have the results of the experiments of 
Mr. McKeown, who believes it expectorant, tonic, diaphoretic 
and sudorific, and who has employed it with benefit in pectoral 
affections; he considers that a teaspoonful of the powdered 
root in hot water, often repeated, acts as a safe and useful sub- 
stitute for the pi-epai-ations of antimony ; he has also observed 
that the same quantity of the root, with half the amount of 
snakeroot, (Aristoloch serp.,) given several times a day for several 
days, will induce soreness of the mouth, with free and copious 
salivation ; this soon subsides, without any of those disagreeable 
results which follow the administration of the mercurial prep- 
arations. Should this effect be constant, it might be made of 
great service. A medical friend informs me that he employed 
the decoction in two cases of pneumonia, and that the action 
on the lungs was most decided and rapid. There seems to be 
no question as to its utility. It may act by disgorging the 



564 

portal system, besides increasing the excretion from the mucous 
membrane of the lungs. It should be more extensively em- 
ployed by phj'sicians. The powdered root has been used as an 
escharotic for restraining the growth of fungous flesh in ulcers. 
When the diaphoretic eflFect is desired the decoction of one 
ounce of the root to one quart of water is best, given in doses 
of a tea cupful every two hours. Dose of powdered root, 
twenty grains to one drachm several times a day. 

In the neighborhood of Camden, South Carolina, the root of 
silk-weed (pleurisy root) is much relied on in rheumatism. The 
root is macerated in brandy. It is believed by many that it 
has a marked influence in promoting the excretion of bile, and 
the tincture is said b}^ those who use it to have a laxative 
eft'ect. It is used as a substitute for calomel. This testimony, 
recently obtained, will be found to correspond with what was 
written by me long since of the pleurisy root, (A. tuberosa,) in 
my Eeport on Med. Bot. S. C. 1849. A fluid extract has been 
made. 

From a work reputed to contain the practice of physic 
among the Cherokee Indians, entitled the "Indian Guide to 
Health," I quote the following, which adds little to our previous 
knowledge : " Few articles in the Indian materia medica main- 
tain a higher standing than pleurisy root. It acts as a mild 
purgative on the bowels, but it is more particularly and inesti- 
mably valuable in producing expectoration, or throwing off 
mucus from the throat and lungs, and in causing perspiration 
or sweating when other remedies fail. This root possesses one 
remarkable power — given in proper quantities it aff'ects the 
skin and produces perspiration without heating the body or in- 
creasing circulation. It is a valuable article in diseases of the 
lungs generally. Its use in a strong decoction often gives re- 
lief to pain in the chest, stomach and intestines, by promoting 
perspiration and assisting digestion." 

The milky juice exuding from Asdepias, Leontodon, Lactuca 
and the Euphorbiacece yield caoutchouc. I would suppose that 
the queen's delight, {Stilling ia,) which is abundant, would also 
furnish it. It might be procured from those which give a large 
exudation of milk when cut. I have collected and dried the 
juice of Asdepias. '• When any of these plants are incised 
there exudes a milky juice which by exposure to the air grad- 



505 

ujvUy lets fall conoi'ete caoutchouc. The juice is palo yellow, 
thick, and similar to cream. When spread in thin layers on a 
solid bod)' it soon becomes solid caoutchouc, amounting to 
forty-tive per cent, of the weight of juice. The black color is 
owing to the method of drying it after it has been spread upon 
moulds." Wilson's Kural Cyc, art. " Caoutchouc." Ure's Diet, 
of Arts contains full descriptions of processes, adaptability, 
etc. Caoutchouc is insoluble in water, alcohol, acids, or alka- 
lies. By long boiling in water it softens and swells up. It is 
slightly soluble in ether. 

The downy substance attached to the seed of the silk-weeds 
may be used for many purposes — for stuffing beds, cushions, 
etc. 

Asch'pias incarnata, W. " Grows in the valleys among the 
mountain* of South Carolina," Elliott; vicinity of Charleston ; 
Newborn. Fl. July. 

U. ^ Disp. 12(J; Journal Phil. Coll. Pharm. iv, 283; Griffith 
Med. Bot. 455. Dr. Griffith speaks of it as a useful emetic and 
cathartic ; and Dr. Tully says it may be given advantageously 
in asthma, catarrh and syphilis ; no doubt very similar in prop- 
erties to the A. decumbens. 

DWARF MILK- WEED, {Asdepias verticillata, L.) Collected 
in St. John's; Newbern. 

This is a domestic remedy in repute for the bite of snakes. 
It is said by those who have used it in the upper districts of 
South Carolina to be very deservedly celebrated. See, also, Va. 
Med. J., December, 1858. These plants emit a milky juice 
when bruised ; with the aigrette of the seeds, a fleecy down 
one or two inches in length, somewhat resembling silk, it has 
been proposed to make cloth. Upon experiment, 1863, I find 
the fibre of A. obtusifolia of Mx. uncommonly strong, and easily 
separated. A few strands resist every effort to break them, 
but they do not bear knotting well. They can be drawn from 
the plant and used as sewing thread without further prepara- 
tion. The cohesion and tenacity of even the finest fibres is 
something extraoi'dinary. Upon examining the fibre of the 
A. variegata, L., I find it if not stronger more easily separable. 

VIRGINIAN SWALLOW-WORT; VIRGINIAN SILK, 
{Asdepias cormiti. Decaisne. A. syriaca, L.) Fields and road- 
sides; Newbern. Chap, and Croom's Cat. 



566 

The flowers are highly fragrant, especially in the morning 
and the evening, and "are gathered in their native country 
while the dew is on them, for the purpose of making sugar. 
The young shoots in spring are a very good substitute for 
asparagus; the down of the pods serves well for stuflSng pillows 
and cushions, for making thread and cloth, and for some other 
purposes ; the fibrous matter of the stems is abundant in quan- 
tity, excellent in flax-like quality, and is used and highly appre- 
ciated in some parts of North America for making thread, 
cordage, fishing nets and cloth. It has been successfully ex- 
perimented with as an agricultural plant in France and Ger- 
many. It may be propagated either by transplanting roots in 
rows about two feet apart or bj- sowing seeds." Wilson's Ru- 
ral Cyc. Many of the Silk-weeds have strong fibres. The 
above onl}^ confirms a note in Prof. Gibbes' "Catalogue" as fol- 
lows : the cortical fibi-es of many possess great strength, as is 
easily proved by the attempt to break their stems. From those 
of the A. syriaca a number of articles have lately been manu- 
factured at Salem, Mass. — such as thread, netting, bags and 
purses, tapes, socks, knotting for fringes, etc. The silk from 
the pods forms an excellent article for stuflSng cushions, pillows, 
mattresses, etc. Mixed with cotton it may be spun into yarn 
for gloves and socks. It is used in making artificial feathers 
and flowers. Bonnets, capes and tippets of very handsome 
appearance are made by sewing the tufts in overlapping rows 
on cotton or silk. In Germany, in 1785, the cultivation of the 
A. syriaca was begun with six plants, and in eight years there 
was a plantation of thirty thousand, which yielded eight hun- 
dred pounds of silk the first crop, thi'ee hundred and fifty-five 
the second, and six hundred the third. In the same country a 
paper was made from the cortical fibres which was distinguished 
with difficulty from that made from rags. See Silliman's Jour., 
vol. xxviii, p. 380, and an article in the Horticultural Register, 
by Dearborn, in which he also gives an account of his mode of 
cultivation of the same plant for its young shoots, which he 
considers nearly equal to asparagus. Loc. cit. sup. From 
nearly all the species of Silk-weed the down from the seeds may 
be collected. They abound in almost every portion of the 
Southern States. 

The Indian doctors use the root of the silk-weed as a diuretic 



567 

decoction in gonorrhoea. The root is said to bo emetic and 
cathartic, and is used in dropsy. Dr. R. S. Cauthorn, of Eich- 
mond, Va., has given the powdered root in three grain doses 
with success in six cases of intermittent fever ; Stethoscope, 
1858. Dr. Eichardson, of Mass., found the root possessed of 
anodyne properties, giving a drachm of the powdered root in 
divided doses, and employing a strong infusion in cases of 
asthma and catarrh. Dr. A. E. Thomas, of Miss., and Dr. 
McLean, of Ky., in letters to the editors of the U. S. Disp., 
speak of the success attending the employment of the root in 
scrofula, for which it has been long used. The latter found it 
useful as an alterative in hepatic affections, but was doubtful of 
the species. U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

BASTAED IPECAC; BLOOD WEED; CUEASOA, (A. 
curassavica, L.) Grows in South Florida, (Chap.;) is possessed 
of emetic and sudorific qualities, and by Dr. W. Hamilton is 
used iij arresting hemorrhages. Dr. Barham found it very 
efficient in obstinate tronorrhcea. Am. J. Pharm. xix, 19. 

OLEACEiE. {The Olive Tribe.) 

This order is said by Lindley to offer one of the few instances 
of oil being contained in the pericarp, it being in most other 
plants yielded by the seeds. 

EUEOPEAN OLIVE, (Olea Europea.) Introduced. 

This well known plant, of which it has been said "Olea prima 
omnium arborum est," is cultivated in Charleston as a garden 
plant, and matures its fruit. A tree in LamboU street bears 
fruit of good size, which I have seen made into excellent 
"olives" for table use; also pickled. Eepeated attempts have 
been made to cultivate the olive, and little doubt exists that 
with greater efforts it may become a valuable oil-bearing plant. 
In Patent Office Eeports, 1854, p. 28, is a brief statement of 
several efforts to introduce the olive into South Carolina, 
Georgia, and other Southern States. A paper was also pub- 
lished on this subject by Judge M. King, of Charleston. In 
1755 Mr. Henry Laurens imported and planted olives, capers, 
limes, ginger, etc. The latter is still easily raised in our gardens 
in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. In 1785 the olive was 
successfully grown in South Carolina. It is not easily propa- 
gated from seeds. A colony of Greeks, settled at East Florida, 



568 

had planted the olive, and sixty years ago it is said there were 
large trees marking the site of that settlement. The tree was 
also cultivated by Mr, Cooper, of St. Simons, and Mr. Spalding, 
of Georgia. See a paper in Southern Cultivator, p. 7, vol. iii ; 
also, Jefferson's letter to Drayton, in his Memoirs. 

As this plant is an important one, and experience concerning 
its propagation in the Southern States is difficult to obtain, I 
add the following statement of Mr. E. Chisolm, Beaufort Dis- 
trict, S. C: 

"My olive trees were imported from the neighborhood of 
Florence, by the way of Leghorn, in 1833, "and consist of two 
kinds — the small, round, esteemed best for oil, and a much 
larger and more oval-fruited sort, which turns white before it 
becomes purple, the latter having been sent as stalks to engraft 
the other upon. The winter of 1834-5 was an excessively cold 
one, and injured to the roots all the orange trees of the South, 
and some of them so severely that they never afterward 
sprouted ; yet I do not recollect that my olive trees suffered at 
all — certainly, none were killed. No cold which we have expe- 
rienced since has caused them to shed a leaf, whereas our 
orange trees have suffered much, and about four years since 
barely escaped being killed to the ground. My olive trees are 
planted in a rather flat, clayey piece of land, quite near the salt 
water, and but little elevated above high tides. In Italy, I be- 
lieve, it is generally thought that this tree does not thrive well 
far from the sea, but does best on what they call a fat soil, 
which contains more or less clay. From what I have seen of 
it on sandy soils in this vicinity it has proved not very fruitful. 
Finding that my trees grew very slowly, and not expecting to 
derive profit enough from them to pay for their culture, the 
idea occurred to me of trying to cultivate the sweet potato, 
field and cow-peas among them, hoping that the expense of cul- 
tivating the olive might be covered by these means. The land 
was well manured every year in June, and cultivated with one 
or the other of these crops, in such a manner as the other oper- 
ations of the plantation would render convenient, generally, 
however, with sweet potatoes, irrespective of rotation. The 
result has much more than answered my expectations, as I very 
seldom failed to make a fair crop of potatoes, and the trees 
have grown vigorously, and rapidly come into bearing, and 



569 

have continued to bear good crops of fruit every year, occa- 
sionally abundant ones; while in Europe the habit of almost 
every variety of this tree is to bear only in alternate years. As 
the olive ripens during the months of October and November, 
at a time when we are straining every nerve to save most of 
our other crops, no attempt has been made to gather all the 
fruit ; but one year enough was gathered, pounded in a mortar 
and the oil pressed out, to justify me in saying that I produced 
a very clear and good looking article, which was exhibited 
about two years since at the Fair at the South Carolina Insti- 
tute. The only use that has yet been made of the olives is to 
pickle them while green, in a full grown state, in August or 
September, for which purpose they seem admirably adapted. A 
few may now be found on sale, which are preferred to those im- 
ported. The recipe for pickling was obtained from France, and 
is as follows : ' For each pound of the fruit take a pound of 
strong ^shcs (those of the hickory wood are the best we have) 
and an ounce of good slacked lime; mix the lime and ashes 
with water until a soft paste or mortar is formed, into which 
stir or imbed the olives, and finish by covering the whole mass 
with a layer of dry ashes. Let them lie in this state until all 
the bitumen is extracted, which may be known by the stones 
slipping readily out of the pulp when squeezed between the 
forefinger and thumb, for which purpose a few may be tried 
once an hour, or oftener if desired. The length of time re- 
quired for this will depend entirely upon the quality of the 
ashes and lime, and may vary from two to three hours to as 
many days. As soon as the olives have been deprived of their 
bitterness they must be washed clean and put to soak in fresh 
water, which must be changed about once an hour for twenty- 
four hours, when the taste of potash will have been removed 
and the water cease to be discolored. The olives must then be 
put into bottles or jars, and a strong brine put over them made 
from good rock or alum salt. This brine will generally require 
to be changed several times, in consequence of becoming ash- 
colored, after which the bottles must be sealed air-tight, and if 
kept in a cool, dry, dark place, the olives will keep good for 
years.' Olives carefully cured after this plan will be found less 
salty than those pickled in France which are usually sold in 
this country, and will retain much of the nutty flavor of pure 



570 

olive oil. I do not think that the making of oil from the olivo 
will be likely to prove sufficiently profitable to be pursued in 
this country for many j^ears, as labor is expensive, and other 
crops will necessarily take the lead, unless the price of labor or 
soil in Europe should be increased, when there will, conse- 
quently, become a greater demand." 

The oil is obtained of two or three qualities. The virgin oil 
is that which spontaneously separates from the paste of crushed 
olives. This is purified for watchmakers b}^ placing in a vial 
containing in it a slip of sheet lead. In Sicily the olives are 
beaten from the tree. It is allowed to ferment in bins or re- 
ceptacles. It is then conveyed to a mill, ground into a paste 
under heavy stones, and chaff or small straw occasionally 
thrown in to retain the oil. The pulp is then rammed into 
round, flat baskets, made of a strong kind of rush, and sub- 
mitted to a press. When the oil ceases to run from a first 
pressir^of. the baskets are removed, their contents again pressed 
under the mill, returned to the baskets, submitted to the press 
again. Hot water is sometimes thrown over the mass to in- 
crease the flow of oil, the latter being subsequently skimmed 
from the surfiice. What is finally left in the baskets, after the 
thii'd pressure, is refuse material, used for lamps by curriers and 
tanners. To procure the best oil no fermentation should be 
used. Consult Ure's Dictionary of Arts, Patent Office Eeports, 
1859, p. 114. 

DEVIL- WOOD; AMERICAN OLIVE, (O^ea Americana.) I 
have collected it near Charleston, Rutledge's farm and in St. 
John's, S. C. Eare and ornamental. 

The wood has a fine and compact grain, and when perfectly 
dry it is excessively hard and very difficult to cut or split ; 
hence is derived the name of devil-wood. On laying bare the 
cellular integuments of the bark its natural yellow hue changes 
instantaneously to a deep red, and the wood, by contact with 
the air, assumes a rosy complexion. I have not been able to 
verify this after repeated trials. Michaux suggests that experi- 
ments be made to test the nature of this active principle. Am. 
Sylva ; Farmer's En eye. 

OLD-MAN'S BEARD ; POISON ASH ; FRINGE TREE, 
{Chionantlius Virginica, Walter.) A very ornamental plant; 
collected in the swamps of St. John's Berkeley ; vicinity of 
Charleston; Newbern. Fl. April. 



571 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 6. An infusion of the roots is given 
in long standing intermittents, It is tonic and febrifugal, with 
some acro-narcotic properties ; used in the form of cataplasm as 
an application to wounds and ulcers. Griffith Med. Bot. 44. I 
have been told that it is a useful diuretic, prescribed with sul- 
phate of iron and spirits in dropsy. Gen. L. M. Ayer informs me 
that his father was in the habit of using the " white ash, or 
old man's beard, in the case of native born Africans who suf- 
fered from yaws or ulcers and sores, which were often rapidly 
fatal. The decoction given internally and used as a wash gave 
relief, when everything else failed. Mills, also, in his Statistics 
of S. C, states that the bark of the root bruised and applied to 
fresh wounds is accounted a specific in healing them without 
suppuration. 

Fraxinus acuminata, La. M. Grows in rich swamps ; St. 
John's ; Newbem. 

Ell. ^ot. Med. Notes, ii, 673. The wood is light, elastic and 
strong; used by carriage and cabinet-makers and wheelwrights. 

WHITE ASH, {Fraxinus Americana, L.) 

In the Southern States we have the white, red, green, blue 
and water ash. Wilson says that F. Americana differs in few re- 
spects from the English ash, F. excelsior, which in England is 
used for every conceivable purpose by the farmer, turner, cab- 
inet-maker, wheelwright, and for firewood. " The bark of the 
tree is used for tanning calfskins, and for dyeing green, blue 
and black; the ashes of the trunk, root or branches are com- 
paratively rich in potash." Coal was also made from it. The 
leaves of the F. Americana "are said to be so highly offensive to 
the rattlesnake that that formidable reptile is never found on 
land where it grows ; and it is the practice of hunters and others 
having occasion to traverse the woods in the summer months to 
stuff their boots or shoes with white ash leaves as a preventa- 
tive of the bite of the rattlesnake." 



572 
i 

Class II. GYMNOSPERMS. 
CYCADACB^. 

WILD COONTIB; TUCKAHOE, (Zamia integrifolia.) S. 
Fla.; Chap. 

The large succulent, fleshy roots, when properly treated, 
yield a large quantity of arrowroot, equal to the best Bermuda. 
Carson in Pereira. The fruit has a coating of an orange-col- 
ored pulp, which Rafinesque states forms a rich edible food. 
Grifiith. Japan sago is also obtained from a Cycas, the pith of 
which is very nourishing. See "Arrowroot," "Maranta." 

CONIFEE^ OR PINACE.E. {The Fir Tribe.) 

One of the most important orders, whether we view it in ref- 
erence to its timber or its secretions. 

LONG-LEAVED PINE, (Pinus palustris, L. Pinus australis, 
Mich.) The specific name is a misnomer, as it grows on high 
land. Grows along the seacoast in the tertiary region, and 
within one hundred and twenty miles of the ocean. I have 
observed it in the lower part of Fairfit Id District ; a strip of it 
is found in Powhattan County, Va.; Newborn. Fl. May. 

Bell's Pract. Diet. 359 ; U. S. Disp. 709 ; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 
167 ; Ball, Gar. M. Med. 309 ; Royle, Mat. Med. 564. This is 
the most valuable of the pine trees, and from it the largest 
amount of tar, pitch and turpentine is obtained. 

This tree shoots up into a straight shaft, devoid of branches 
sometimes for fifty or sixty feet ; the heart is very durable, and 
the wood is employed for almost every purpose. It is, indeed, 
one of the great gifts of God to man, for it furnishes to every 
one an abundant material for fuel, fire, warmth and light. 

The forests of pine are not only useful but beautiful. The 
characteristic moan of the winds through their branches, their 
funereal aspect, almost limitless extent, and the health-giving 
influences which attend their presence, all contribute to make 
the pine an object of peculiar interest to the people of the 
Southern States. The terebinthinate odor of the tree, soma 
electrical influence of its long, spear-like leaves, a certain modi- 
fication of " ozone," (an allotropic condition of oxygen, accord- 
ing to Faraday,) are severally esteemed to modify the atmos- 



573 

phere and diminish the effects of malaria. They also create a 
mechanical barrier to the ingress of malaria, and hence the 
pine land residences, though condemned for their sterile aspect, 
have proved a blessing to the Southern planters in affording a 
comparatively safe refuge from the unhealthy emanations of 
the neighboring plantations. 

I need not describe the processes for making Tar. It is a 
very compound substance, (see Rural Cyc.,) and contains mod- 
ified resin, oil of turpentine, empyreumatic oil, acetic acid, 
charcoal and water, and when inspissated by boiling is converted 
into pitch. It is extensively used in the cordage, caulking and 
sheathing of ships, to preserve them from the weather. It is of 
great service in many of the arts and medicinal usages con- 
nected with agriculture. I will add what Wilson states of its 
economical employment, as it may be made of great service on 
our plantations and in veterinary medicine. It serves well as a 
paint to coarse kinds of boarding and paling, but is improved in 
its use by the addition of tallow or other coarse fat. It is 
applied as a covering to cuts on animals, and to parts affected 
by the fly. It serves, either alone or in combination with some 
fatty substance, to defend the sore or diseased feet of cattle 
from being further injured by wet or abrasion ; when spread 
upon coarse cloth it is a prime covering for broken horns, and 
makes an excellent application to various kinds of wounds and 
punctures in cattle. It is given internally to horses as a remedy 
for cough ; also as a detergent and local remedy for scaly and 
eruptive diseases. Rural Cyc. It is used to cover the lower 
surface of posts to prevent their rotting, and grain soaked in it 
is not eaten by birds. Tar water was formerly much used in 
medicine, but at present wood naphtha and pyroligneous acid, 
etc., are commonly employed. 

The buds of the pine or the inside barks steeped in water is 
a favorite domestic remedy on our plantations for colds and 
coughs. Bits of fat pine steeped ,in gin are also used. A de- 
coction of the inside bark is given daily as a remedy in chronic 
diarrhoea. Pills of resin are often employed as a simple 
diuretic. Resin also enters into the composition of strengthen- 
ing plasters. 

Wilson, in his Rural Cyc, articles "Fuel" and "Charcoal," 
gives the best mode of preparation, including the quality and 



574 

yield of several trees. See Salix, in this volume, for manufac- 
ture of charcoal. 

The chief consumption of charcoal is as fuel. It is also em- 
ployed as a tooth powder and to purify tainted meat. No 
mode of preparation for the first of these objects is at all nec- 
essary, and for the two last it must merely be reduced to a 
fine powder. It forms a part of all reducing fluxes. It is the 
basis of most black paints and varnishes. It is used to polish 
brass and copper, and is an excellent clarifier. It is used in 
farriery, in combination with linseed meal, as an anti-septic 
cataplasm for foul and fetid ulcers. Powdered charcoal must 
be heated to redness in a covered crucible, with an opening in 
the middle of the cover, and kept in that state till no flame 
issues out ; it must then bo withdrawn, allowed to cool, and 
then put into close vessels. Whenever either wine, vinegar, or 
other fluid is to be clarified it is simply to be mixed with the 
liquor ; a froth appears at the surface, and after filtration it 
is pure and colorless. Charcoal is also used as a valuable ma- 
nure, fully described in Wilson's Eural Cyc. Charcoal and 
sand placed in the bottom of a barrel or hogshead will purify 
water passed through it. (See Salix.) It is generally believed 
that it will prevent contagion, yellow fever, etc., if taken during 
the prevalence of an epidemic. It is also used as a mild me- 
chanical laxative in dyspepsia with foul stomach. See medical 
authors. Its power of absorbing gases and vapors is well known. 

Lamp-black is obtained by the turpentine manufacturers 
"from the combustion of the refuse of their operations in fur- 
naces appropriated to that purpose. The smoke deposits itself 
on the sacking which is hung up ; it is swept off and sold for 
common use without further preparation. The lamp-black in 
this state contains some oil, which is separated by being heated 
to redness in a close vessel." This may be easily made in our 
large turpentine distilleries throughout the Southern States. 

Creosote^ also a product of the pine, is obtained from "crude 
pyroligneous acid and the heavy portion of the oil of wood tar, 
sometimes called the essence of tar, and used in the preserva- 
tion of meat, the flavoring of hams, and as a remedial agent for 
its constringing effect." It coagulates albumen. Fresh meat 
suspended over creosote will be preserved. Wilson's Rural 
C3''c.; lire's Diet.; and medical authors, Pyroligneous acid, ob- 



575 

lained from the pine, is used in preserving meat rapidly in lieu, 
of the slow process of " sraol^infj^." This acid, naphtha, creosote 
and other products of the distilhition of wood, might be advan- 
tageously combined in the same process. 

Vinegar and acetic acid, obtained from pyroligneous acid, is 
purified by converting it into acetate of soda and decomposing 
that salt by means of sulphuric acid. The acetic acid, after 
being distilled, is lowered by water, colored, and used as vinegar. 

Since writing the above I find the following in the Norfolk 
Day Book, 1856 : 

J. A. Mattock, Esq., of Onslow County, N. C, has invented 
and patented a machine known as the "J. A. Mattock's Im- 
proved Apparatus for the distillation of pine wood." This 
valuable invention has been in successful operation, and is likely 
to come into general use in the piney regions of North Carolina. 
The machine runs out from a load of pine wood, seventy-five 
gallon*, of crude spiritsof turpentine, which is clarified at a small 
expense, at a cost of less than twenty per cent. Besides this 
product of the machine's manipulation, fifty -four pounds of acid, 
after being purified, are produced, which is worth $1.50 per 
pound, or more. In addition, there are produced four barrels of 
pitch. The machine is capable of manipulating two cords of 
wood per day. There may be other material or residuum 
which may be put to some use and yield a profit. 

It will be seen, therefore, that the machine can turn out daily 
the following articles of North Carolina staples: 

120 gallons pure spirits at 72 cents per gallon $86 40 

108 pounds acid at $1 50 per pound 162 00 

8 barrels pitch at $6 a $10 48 00 

We are not informed as to the cost of the machine, nor of the 
expense of running it. Two cords of wood would cost here 
$3 50 to $4 ; and in North Carolina, upon the spot, about 50 a 75 
cents. Here is an operation which would require small capital, 
and is a field for the idle or enterprising: 

Machinery for the distillation and separation of all the pro- 
ducts furnished by the pine is being erected, 1867, in South 
Carolina also. By the process fresh and dry pine wood are used, 
and turpentine, tar, charcoal, resin, pyroligneous and acetic 
acid, I believe, are procured. 

The Wilmington, N. C, Dispatch, for February, 1867, states 



576 

that discoveries have been recently made in the distillation of 
resinous wood, which, tested by experiment, promise to work 
great changes in the manufacture of naval stores, etc., with the 
promise also of increased pecuniary results. We are not pre- 
pared to describe the modus operandi of this new process for dis- 
tillation ; but have been assured by parties who have engaged 
in it in the Counties of Cumberland and Eobeson, that the pi'o- 
cess is a simple one, and the results highly satisfactory. 

In New Jersey, this process has been lately introduced with 
the following results: From a single cord of pitch pine distilled 
by chemical apparatus, and by the processes employed, the fol- 
lowing substances in the quantities stated are obtained : 

Spirits Turpentine 20 gallons. 

Illuminating Oil and Tar 50 gallons. 

Pyroligueous Acid 100 gallons. 

Wood Spirit 5 gallons. 

Pitch or Rosin 1^ barrels. 

Tar 1 barrel. 

Illuminating Gas about 6,000 cubic feet. 

Charcoal 50 bushels. 

These results are those derived from eight separate charges, 
aud are selected from many others, not as presenting the most 
favorable exhibits as regards quantities, (which they do not,) 
but as showing the value of the several kinds of wood and the 
best manner of working. There are works now in use in New 
Jersey capable of distilling five cords of wood per day, and the 
products, at present prices, will yield the following daily in- 
come: 

100 gallons Spirits Turpentine at 85 cents per gallon $85 00 

250 gallons Illuminating Oil and Tar at 50 cents per 

gallon 125 00 

500 gallons Pyroligneous Acid at 12 cents per gallon 60 00 

25 gallons Wood Spirit at 20 cents per gallon 40 00 

30,000 feet Illiuminating Gas at $1 60 per M 48 00 

7^ bai^rels Pitch or Rosin at $5 per barrel 37 50 

5 barrels Tar at $4 per barrel 20 00 

250 bushels Charcoal at 25 cents per bushel 62 50 



$478 00 

Cost of production and losses '. |159 00 

Leaving a balance of net profits per day ,..$319 00 



577 

The census of 1860 shows that the proportion of spirits of 
turpentine in the United States by ordinary process, for the 
year 1859, was equal to the production from 1,600 cords of wood 
distilled daily by this process. 

The gas produced by this process, it is said, has great supe- 
riority over ordinary coal gas. It has no offensive odor, and is 
free from the sulphur present in coal gas. The charcoal, also, 
has great superiority, and though made from resinous wood, 
has as great specific gravity as that made from the harder 
woods. 

Carbolic Acid, discovered by Runge in 1834 in the tarof coal, 
and known also as Phenic acid, Phenylic acid and Hydrated 
oxide of Phenyl, bears so close a resemblance to creosote from 
wood that the two have been considered identical. For this 
reason and on account of its application to numerous important 
purposes as a disinfectant, as a dressing to wounds, etc., I refer 
to it in J,his connection. In the 12th Ed. U. S. D., Dr. Wood 
states of it that "its aqueous solution coagulates albumen, ar- 
rests fermentation, instantly destroys the lowest forms of vege- 
table and animal life, and in very small proportions prevents 
moldiness in vegetable juices, and prevents animal substances 
from putrefaction." For the latter purpose the bisulphide of 
carbon is now being experimented with for the preservation of 
meat. C. acid has also what may prove to us a very important 
property first suggested by M. Lemaire, namely, " that of de- 
stroying miasms and even of modifying the action of malaria." 
I give prominence to this as I am possessed of statements from 
parties in South Carolina by which it appears that the vapor of 
a solution of carlolic acid, diffused in sleeping ajjartments, has 
apparently prevented the effects of malaria. It was used among 
the residents of a number of houses. I hope that this will be 
farther tested as there is great plausibilit}- in the suggestion that 
it will be serviceable, assuming that malaria is taken into the 
system at night. It is also said to drive away mosquitos and 
" predatory " insects generally. I have employed it extensively 
in hospital practice, and regard its solution in glycerine, one 
part to four, as specially valuable as a disinfectant, particularly 
in uterine diseases with offensive discharges. As an applica- 
tion to wounds and as a dressing after amputation, etc., I pre- 
fer Labaraque's Sol. of Chloride of Soda. As an application to 
37 



578 

mucus surfaces, the throat for example, the strength used is one 
to thirty or stronger. It may be combined with tinct. of 
iodine. 

The Spirits or Oil of Turpentine obtained from this pine is 
now one of the most universally employed of remedial agents ; 
it is quite surprising to how great a diversity of conditions 
it is applicable ; all these depend, however, upon its natural 
properties. See Trousseau's " Therapeutique," Stille's Mat. Med. 
and recent authors. As an external rubefacient, a diffusible 
stimulant, an astringent, a stimulating diuretic, anthelmintic 
and laxative. Turpentine admits of frequent applications. 

In Confed. S. Med. J. Jan., 1864, is an article on the external 
application of oil of turpentine as a substitute for quinine in 
intermittent fever. Surg. Styles Kennedy had called the atten- 
tion of the Medical Bureau to this method. A bandage wet 
with turpentine is applied around the body half an hour before 
the expected paroxysm. Surg. K. reports the successful trial 
of this in over thirty cases. It was also tried at the Gen. Hosp., 
Guyton, Ga., 1862. The applications should be repeated, parti- 
cularly on the seventh and fourteenth days. See, also, an edito- 
rial notice in the number for Aug., 1864, where seventy returns 
are received involving a trial of this remedy in over four hun- 
dred cases. It is considered useful only as an adjuvant and not 
as a specific. In the arts, also, and as a material in the manu- 
facture of soap, as a resin, and for the production of light, it is 
equally worthy of attention. The fumes of turpentine inhaled 
will cause irritability of the kidney if breathed. I have been 
called to attend several negroes with dysuria and bloody urine 
from sleeping aboard a boat laden with resin and turpentine in 
defective barrels. 

Wilson says : " Turpentine is one of the best means of chasing 
away fleas whether from place or animal, and a bed of very 
fine shavings of some wood which abounds in turpentine is one 
of the easiest and most effectual means of banishing them from 
dogs, and that the oil of turpentine is almost a specific for 
spasm in the bowels." Eural Cyc. See, also, "Juglans." 

That variety of long-leaved pine which acquires a reddish 
hue frow growing in certain soils, and is known by the name 
of red pine, is most esteemed, and in the opinion of some ship- 
wrights is as solid and durable on the sides of vessels as the 



579 

white oak, but is said to form less perfect joints at stem and 
stern. It is also in great request at the North for flooring 
boards. The long-leaved pine supplies what is known as naval 
s tores both to the United States and Europe, Eural Cj'c. 

Pyroligneous acid, obtained from the pine, is used in preserv- 
ing meat rapidly in lieu of the slow process of " smoking." 

A preparation with rosin, to preserve leather and shoes, is 
recommended by Col. Macerone, in the Mechanic's Magazine, 
1848. It will be found useful to soldiers on the march, and 
others who are exposed to the weather : 

A pound of tallow and a half pound of rosin are put in a 
vessel on the fire, and when melted and mixed it is applied 
while hot, with a brush, to the leather previously warmed. 
This must be done thoroughly and repeatedl}'. If it is desired 
that the leather should receive polish, dissolve an ounce of 
beeswax with an ounce of turpentine, to which add a teaspoon- 
ful of lamp-black ; a day or two after the leather has been 
treated with the tallow and rosin rub over it the wax and tur- 
pentine, but not before the fire. Tallow or any other grease 
becomes rancid and rots the stitching as well as the leather, 
but the rosin gives it an anti-septic quality which preserves the 
whole. Boots or shoes for the soldier, as well as for all who go 
much in the wet, should be so large as to admit of wearing in 
them cork soles — cork being a bad conductor of heat. 

Turpentine and rosin are both abundant within our limits. 
An excellent English ^^ mixture to render leather water-proof" is 
made with turpentine. During the scarcity of leather and 
exposure of our soldiers, I thought its introduction not inappro- 
priate. It is used by the punt-shooters in the fenny parts of 
England : melt together in an earthen pipkin half a pound of 
tallow, four ounces of hog's lard, two ounces of turpentine and 
as much beeswax; make the boots thoroughly dry and warm, 
and rub in the mixture well with a little tow as hot as the hand 
can bear, or else hold the leather over a very gentle fire till it 
has thoroughly imbibed the mixture. Another mixture for the 
same purpose, and used by fishermen, soldiers and others, is 
made thus: Burgundy pitch (rosin?) and turpentine each two 
ounces, tallow four ounces ; or half a pound of beeswax, a quar- 
ter of a pound of rosin, and a quarter of a pound of beef suet. 
The leather must be dry and the mixture warm. Oil of laven- 
der also prevents leather from moulding. 



580 

To make Cloth water-proof with Turpentine. — In making cloth 
water-proof for negroes for picking cotton Avhen the weed is 
wet from rains or dews, and also for tents, the following method 
is adopted: " To every gallon of spirits of turpentine put two 
and a half pounds of beeswax, boil well in a pot, remove the 
fire, and while it is hot put in the goods ; move it about until it 
is well saturated, then hang it up to dry. It will require one 
gallon of turpentine to every eight yards of goods." It is more 
pliant than India-rubber. 

Candles for war times made with Rosin. — " A model economical 
candle, sixty yards long, for use of soldiers in camp, which will 
burn six hours each night for six months, and all that light at 
a cost of a few cents, is made as follows : Take one pound of 
beeswax, and three-fourths of a pound of rosin, melt them 
together, then take about four threads of slack-twisted cotton 
for a wick, and draw it about three times through the melted 
wax and rosin, and wind it in a ball; pull the end and you have 
a good candle." Coarse cotton threads, sixteen to twenty inches 
in length, dipped in melted rosin, and when dry supported in a 
vessel of sand or earth, were largely employed during the war 
as an economical substitute for candles. I have made great 
numbers of them. 

A preparation of turpentine, probably turpentine redistilled, 
called Terebene, was manufactured at Camden, South Carolina, 
and large!}' used as a burning fluid since the blockade. The 
price is moderate ; it gives a good light, but requires a modifi- 
cation of the old kerosene chimney. " Palmetto oil," so-called, 
is probably pure turpentine. Prof. F. A. Porcher used and rec- 
ommended turpentine during the war, and I have known others 
who have employed it for months as a burning fluid ; it is not 
explosive. In using these highly carbonaceous agents an abun- 
dance of air must be admitted to the wick to consume the 
excess of carbon, which would otherwise be thrown off as 
smoke or deposited as lamp-black ; an extra amount of oxygen 
is of course required to increase the combustion. I have used 
turpentine purchased at a distillery in an ordinary terebene 
lamp with a burner of an inch in diameter. The light was as 
o-ood as that afforded by palmetto oil or terebene, giving no 
trouble. Lavip-black is prepared from the imperfect destruction 
of turpentine in large burners with suitable apparatus to collect 
it ; it may be made in the Southern States with profit. 



581 

An economical "Soap without grease" is made with rosin: to 
four gallons of strong lye add ten pounds of distilled rosin, or 
eight pounds of pure gum not distilled and free from trash, boil 
steadily until there is no rosin to be seen, and if the quantity of 
lye is not sufficient add more, and continue to add until the 
rosia disappears, boiling until it makes a brown jelly soap. 
This soap has been extensively made in South Carolina during 
the past year, (1862,) and is stated to be " equal to the best 
soap made with grease." I am induced to insert here the fol- 
lowing, also, which has been successfully repeated in the coun- 
try parishes of South Carolina since the blockade : Tallow 
candles equal to sperm. — To two pounds of tallow add one tea 
cupful of good strong lye from wood ashes. Let it simmer over 
a slow fire, when a greasy scum collects on the top, which 
should be skimmed off and used in making soap, with which it 
is closely related. A pure tallow candle with a small wick may 
then 6e moulded, which is said to equal sperm candles. A little 
of the juice of the prickly pear or beeswax will render the tal- 
low harder, and the wicks steeped in a little spirits of turpentine 
will make them burn brighter. 

The following preparation of coal tar I append on account of 
its utility in camps and hospitals. Pyroligneous acid is itself a 
well known disinfectant : 

Anti-septic Poivder. — To correct the offensive odors of wounds, 
mix one hundred parts of calcined plaster of Paris and two 
parts of coal tar. Kub well together. Sprinkle this upon the 
wound once or twice daily. This has been fully tested for 
years in the Bellevue hospital. 

Decoction of the leaves of the pine tree sweetened, to be 
freely drunk warm when going to bed at night or cold during 
the day, is very much used as a domestic remedy for colds and 
coughs. The holly root (Ilex opaca) chewed, and a tea made of 
the blade of the Indian corn, are also given for colds ; the latter 
also in intermittent fevers, it is said, with much success. 

Duration of loood impregnated ivith sulphate of copper. — A paper 
upon this subject, translated from the bulletin of the Horticul- 
tural Society of the Seine, is published in the Farmer and 
Planter, p. 306, October, 1861. It is impregnated with sulphate 
of copper by M. Boucherie's process, which consists in causing 
a solution of the sulphate of copper to penetrate to the interior 



582 

of freshly cut woods, which preserves them indefinitely from 
decay. All woods do not permit penetration equally. " The 
beech, elm and fir readily admit all kinds of salts into their 
tissue. The oak impregnates completely its sap wood, while 
the heart of the tree absorbs absolutely nothing," so that that 
part of the tree which was thrown away may with this process 
be made useful. Sulphate of copper was found to be superior 
to corrosive sublimate. " The process of the injection of wood 
with the salts of copper is as simple as easy. For those w^oods 
intended for rods, it consists in plunging the base of a branch 
furnished with leaves into a tub containing the solution. The 
liquid ascends into the branches by the action of the leaves, and 
the wood is impregnated with the presei'vative salt. As for 
logs, the operation consists in cutting down the tree to be ope- 
rated upon ; fixing at its base a plank which is fixed by means 
of a screw placed in the centre, and which can be tightened at 
will when placed in the centre of the tree. This plank has on 
the side to be applied to the bottom of the tree a rather thick 
shield of leather, cloth, pasteboard, or some other substance, 
intended to establish a space between it and the wood, sufficient 
for the preserving fluid to keep in contact with the freshly cut 
surface of the tree. The liquid is brought there from a tub or 
other reservoir by the help of a slanting pole made on the upper 
side of the tree, and in which is put a tube adapted at its other 
extremity to a spigot in the upper reservoir, which contains the 
solution. A pressure of five metres suffices, so that the instant 
the sap of the tree is drawn away it escapes and is replaced by 
tlie liquid saturated with sulphate of copper. As soon as the 
operation terminates, and it lasts for some hours for the most 
difficult logs, the wood can be sold and put to any use." M. 
Decaisne enumerates the immense advantage which this process 
would procure to horticulture. Boxes, frames, greenhouses, 
supports, etc., submitted to the deleterious action of all the 
exterior agents which destroj^ them so rapidly, all can acquire 
an almost indefinite duration, and thus furnish a very great 
economy of time and money. M. Decaisne opposes the process 
by simple immersion. M. Audry asserts that even cloths, cur- 
tains, etc., exposed to the weather, " last eight years after being 
immersed in a solution of one kilogramme of the salt to eight 
litres of water." See " Kyan," Eural Cyc, for mode of preser- 



583 

vation of timber ; also Boussingault's Rural Econ. and Agricult. 
Chemistry. 

A very good composition for preserving wood which is to be 
placed in the ground, and subjected to rapid decay, is made 
with coal tar, quick lime and ground charcoal. The tar is first 
heated in an iron vessel ; then about a pound each of quick 
lime and charcoal to every five gallons, stirred among it until 
the whole has become thoroughly mixed. It is applied hot 
with a brush, or the wood may be dipped into it. This prepa- 
ration resists the attacks of insects. 

To economize manures, etc., during non-importation of 
guano : " Weeds, leaves of trees, and all the succulent plants 
which grow so abundantly in ditches and waste lands, under 
hedges and by the roadside, if cut or pulled when in flower, 
and slightly fermented, furnish from twenty to twenty-five 
times more manure than straw does. These plants, carefully 
collected, furnish to the agriculturist an immense resource for 
enriching his lands. Besides the advantages arising from the 
manure furnished by these plants, the agriculturist will find his 
account in preventing the dissemination of their seeds, which, 
by propagating in the fields, deprive the ci'ops of the nourish- 
ment of the soil. The turf that borders fields and highways 
may be made to answer the same purpose by cutting it up with 
all the roots and the earth adhering to them, rotting the whole 
in a heap and carrying the mass upon the field ; or, what is still 
better, by burning it and dressing the land with the product of 
the combustion." The alkaline salts are most abundant, it will 
be remembered, in green, herbaceous plants. M. DeSaussure 
has observed that the ashes of young plants that grew upon a 
poor soil contained at least three-fourths of their weight of 
alkaline salts, and that those of leaves of trees which grew 
from their beds contained at least one-half. The ashes of the 
seeds contain a greater pi'oportion of alkaline salts than those 
of the plants that produced them. M. Pertuis found that the 
trunks of trees afford less ashes than the branches. Chaptal's 
Chemistry, p. 97. The scrub oak (F. catesbcei) is said to yield 
ashes very rich in potash. A curious suggestion has been 
recently made to the writer, namely, to compress pine leaves 
by machinery where it exists so abundantly, and employ it as a 
combustible substance like peat. 



584 

The seeds of the long leaf pine are edible and nutritious, and 
•are large!}' consumed by hogs — tlie roots likewise. 

PITCH PINE, {Pinus rigida, L.) Vicinity of Charleston. 

U. S. Disp. 207. From the P. paliist?is and from this species 
tar is extracted, which contains two principles valuable in medi- 
cine, viz : picromar and creosote. It is used in chronic cough and 
bronchial inflammation. Tar water had great reputation at 
one time, and is really not devoid of some value. The vapor 
also is employed in bronchial diseases, and the ointment in tinea 
capitis and psoriasis. The resin from these species is frequently 
made into pills, and taken for colds by those residing in the 
country — among whom, also, it is frequently employed with 
success in chronic blennorrhagia. A medical ft-iend informs 
me that in one individual who took the pine gum in large 
quantities it produced an irritation of the urethral mucous 
membrane, similar to that resulting from the use of the spirit 
when improperly given. 

BLACK SPRUCE; FIR, {Pinus nigra, Aiton.) Confined to 
the high ridges of the Alleghany Mountains. Fl. May. 

U. S. Disp. 710; Ell. Bot. ii, 641. From this species the 
essential oil of spruce is obtained ; prepared by boiling the 
young branches and evaporating the decoction ; it has a bitter- 
ish, astringent, acidulous taste. The tall, slender bodies of this 
tree are used for the spars of vessels. 

WHITE OR WEYMOUTH PINE; NORTHERN PINE, 
(Pinus strobiis, L.) Found in the declivities of the mountains of 
the Carolinas, in the dark, sphagnous swamps along rivulets. 
Fl. May. 

The wood is soft, fine grained and light, and free from tur- 
pentine. It is used for the inner work of houses, for boxes, 
cabinets, etc. "Preferred for the masts of vessels to all other 
wood." 

The Avood has little strength, gives a feeble hold to nails, and 
is liable to swell from humidity in the atmosphere ; but, on the 
other hand, it is soft, light, easily wrought. In ornamental 
work and carving of every description the white pine is used ; 
in fact, wherever a light wood is required. Masts are also made 
of it, and are exported to Liverpool, though not fully equal to 
those from Riga. The bowsprits and spars are made of white 
pine. Rural Cyc. In Eaton's Botany, a work published at the 



585 

North, it is stated tliut "perhaps nine-tenths of the boards used 
in America are of this species." This, liowever, is incorrect, as 
a hxrgo quantity of timber is obtained from our long-loavcd 
pine. 

WALTER'S PINE; SPRUCE PINE, (^Pinus glabra.) St. 
John's, S. C; Bull's place, Ashley River; (H. W. R.) Not 
nnfrequent in Fur<j:;usson's swamp, near Santeo Canal. 

It is couiparalivoly light and soft, and might serve as a sub- 
stitute for northern pine, so much in demand for the manufac- 
ture of the inner work of houses, cabinets, presses, cases, etc., 
and particularly as a light material for boxes for the transpor- 
tation of merchandise. The loblolly pine (P. tieda) is also 
useful for making tables, presses, etc., containing little turpen- 
tine.^ A decoction of the inner bark of the spruce pine acts on 
the skin, and is used in rheumatism, coughs, colds, etc. It is 
also emploj'ed as a fomentation in swellings and sprains. 
Pinus mops, -which I collected at Reidville, Spartanburg, S. C, 
resembles somewhat our lower country spruce, and is sometimes 
so called. It never attains the same height. 

Pinus ta'da, L. Abundant along the seacoast; collected in 
St. John's; grows in Georgia; Newbern. F\. April. 

Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 161; U. S. Disp. 709. This also yields tur- 
pentine. Frankincense is said to be got from this species. The 
inner bark of the short-leaved pine will dye cotton goods 
a brown color without the aid of copperas. After boiling in the 
solution dip in strong lye. See, also, " Sumach " and '' Hickory." 

AMERICAN SILVER FIR, OR BALM OF GILEAD 
TREE, (^Abies balsamea, Abies balsamifera, Mich. Pi7ius balsamea, 
Willd.) Grows on the summits of the mountains of Ya. and 
the Carolinas. Fl. Api*il. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 605 ; U. S. Disp. 710. From this elegant 
species the Canada balsam is obtained ; receiving this name, 
though containing no benzoic acid. Mor. and de L. Diet, de M. 
Med. V. It is used as an external application to wounds. 

HEMLOCK SPRUCE, (Abies Canadensis, Pinus, Linn.) Con- 
fined to the highest mountains. 

Ell. Bot. ii, 641. The bark is valuable for tanning, though 
inferior to that of the oak. It affords the " hemlock, gum, or 
pitch." 



586 

BLACK SPRUCE, (Abies nigra, Poir.) High mountains of 
Noi"th Carolina and northward. 

The tops of its branches yield the best kinds of essence of 
spruce for the manufacture of spruce beer. Its young stems 
and tiie upper parts of its old stems are light, strong and elas- 
tic, and are much used in America for the spars and topmasts 
of ships. Its large roots and the lower parts of its old stems 
are sometimes employed as substitutes for oak in making the 
knees and other bent parts of ships. Its timbers are exported to 
the West India Islands and to Britain for making packing 
boxes, herring barrels and other similar articles. Its resin is 
comparatively scarce and poor, and does not suffice for yielding 
turpentine or fine pitch. Wilson's R. Cyc. 

WHITE SPRUCE, {Abies alba, Mx.) High mountains of 
North Carolina and northward. 

The root fibres are macerated, stripped, and made into cord- 
age by the North American Indians. Wilson's R. Cyc. 

FLORIDA YEW, (Taxus Floridana, Nutt.) Apalachicola 
River, Middle Fla. Chap. 

This tree should be examined for a resinous substance in the 
leaves, which may be poisonous, and to see if thej' will dimin- 
ish the circulation, a property ascribed to the T. baccata. Wood 
durable. 

AMERICAN ARBOR VITtE, {Thuja occidentalis, L.) Con- 
fined to the mountain districts, along streams. Fl. May. 

U. S. Disp. 1301; Griffith Med. Bot. 609. The leaves and 
twigs have a balsamic odor ; the decoction was used in inter- 
mittent fevers, and, according to Schcepf, in cough, scurvy and 
rheumatism ; Boerhaavc employed the distilled water in dropsy. 
The leaves are said to form an excellent irritating ointment, 
which has proved useful in rheumatism, and the oil has been 
given with success as a vermifuge. Dr. J. R. Learning, of N. Y., 
(U. S. Disp., 12th Ed., from N. Y. Journ. Med. N. S. xiv, 406, 
and Nov., 1856, p. 395,) has employed a tincture of the leaves 
internally with supposed advantage in affections believed to be 
cancerous; and the same remedy has been used locally with 
prompt effect in venereal excrescences. Dr. Benedict has found 
a saturated tincture useful as an emmenagogue, given in the 
dose of a teaspoonful three times a day. The wood is said 
by Michaux to be the most durable which our forests pro- 



587 

duce; fences for enclosures, rail postR, etc., are made of it. Said 
to be indigenous and to grow abundantly on the banks of the 
Hudson; "rocky banks on mountains of Carolina." Chapman. 
Prof. L. R. Gibbes expresses to me his doubts of its being found 
in the mountains of Carolina. 

"It makes the finest ornamental hedge known to the climate. 
It requires priming every year, attains any required height, and 
is very compact and beautiful." A writer, B. F. Maurice, of 
King's County, N. Y., (in Patent Office Eeports, 1855, p. 316, 
see papers on " live fences,") states that he has hedges from 
two to fourteen years growth, from one to ten feet high, that 
will compare favorably with any in this country or in England. 
It is easily and readily cultivated by layei's. If the hedge is 
for ornament, considerable care is required in trimming. A 
he€Jge should be pruned every year. "See, also, " Wild oi'ange," 
{Cerasus Caroliniana,) in this volume. The arbor vitae, when it 
can be grown large enough, as in Canada, furnishes one of the 
hardest and most durable of woods, adapted to all the purposes 
of the turner and machinist, for the construction of posts, 
fences, etc. " Fences made of it last three or four times longer 
than those constructed of any other wood. Wilson. The leaves 
are employed like the savin {Junijperus) in making a stimulating 
ointment. If the grain is close and compact it may be found 
to suit the purposes of the wood engraver. See ^^Amelanchier" 
for wood for engraving. In Canada, the thin, narrow pieces of 
wood which form both the ribs and the bottom of the bark 
boats are taken from this wood, because it is pliant enough for 
the purpose when fresh, and also because it is very light. The 
wood is considered one of the best for the use of lime-kilns. 
Its branches are used in Canada for brooms, which leave their 
peculiar scent in all the houses where they are used. Farmer's 
Encyc. 

BALD CYPEESS, (Taxodium dietichum, Kich. Cupressus 
disticha, L. and Ell. Sk.) Grows in swamps in the lower por- 
tion of South Carolina and Georgia. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de JVI. Med. Supplem. 229, 652; see the 
Cultivateur, ii, 668, for an article upon the cypress. Eecherches 
sur I'histoire du Cypres, Ann. de Hortic. xv, 37 ; Strauss, Mem. 
sur le Cypres, Montpellier, 1841 ; Mirbel, Abridg. des Voyages, 
xiii, 396 ; S. T. Cubieres Mem. on the Cypress of Louisiana, (in 



588 

French,) Paris, 1809. This remarkable tree, lifting its giant 
form above the others, gives a striking feature to our swamps. 
They seem like watch-towers for the feathered race. 

For a description see Michaux, N. Am. Sylva, Shec. Flora 
Carol. 484. The seeds are said to possess an odoriferous prin- 
ciple ; a rich balsam of a deep red, inclining to black, is obtained 
by boxing the tree, and from the nuts and fruit by distillation. 
It is applied to cuts and wounds, and is possessed of valuable 
balsamic properties; the cones are also balsamic, and the resin 
from them is diuretic and carminative. This is undoubtedly 
one of the most valuable timber trees that we possess. The 
wood is soft, and rather fine grained, resisting the action of 
weather and the changes of temperature remarkably well; 
hence used for making the interior work of houses, posts, 
shingles, staves, etc. Barton mentions that boats froai eight to 
twelve feet diameter and eighty feet straight shaft are made out 
of a. single trunk. See, also, Ell. Bot. for a description ; and 
also an elaborate paper in the April number of the Am. Journal 
of Science for 1848, by Drs. Dickeson and Brown, a committee 
from Louisiana, appointed by the Association of Geologists and 
ISTaturalists. Cypress leaves boiled during several hours afford 
a fine, durable, cinnamon color. The tree should be felled in 
winter. "Woodsmen in cutting cypress in our river swamps re- 
cognize two varieties, the black which does not float in water 
and the white which is easily transported on account of its 
greater lightness The grain also difl^ers. 

WHITE CEDAR, {Cupressus thyoides, L.) Said to grow 
around the savannas in Horry and Williamsburg Districts ; 
Newbern. 

Ell. Bot. ii, 644; Grifiith Med. Bot. 610. The infusion is re- 
puted to be stomachic, and in the warm state diaphoretic. The 
wood is soft, fine grained, light and durable, and is adapted for 
purposes similar to the above. The young trees are easily 
handled and transported, and are particularly suited for tele- 
graph poles. Shingles from this, sometimes called juniper 
shingles, last for forty years. 

CEDAR, (Juniperus Yirginiana, Linn.) Grows in upper and 
lower districts ; Newbern. Fl. March. 

Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 49; Pe. Mat. Med. ii, 184; Fr. Elems. 
195; U. S. Disp. 413; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 698; 



589 

Mich. N. Am. Sylva, iii, 221 ; Am. Journal Pharm. xiv, 235 ; 
Thacher's Disp. 247; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 316; Griffith Med. 
Bot. 607; Supplem. to the Diet, de M.Med. 1846, 406; Bull, de 
I'Acad. Eoy. de Med. vi, 478 ; S. Cubieres' Mem. on the Eed 
Cedar of Virginia, in French, Paris, 1805 ; Nicolet's Essai on the 
Physiol, and Chemistry of genus .Juniperus; see Journal de 
Pharm. xxvii, 309, and Bonastie's note on a volatile oil from 
the Virginia cedar, in Journal de Pharm. xxi, 177, 1834. 

The bark is employed in Abyssinia, under the name of Bisenna. 
The expressed oil is very useful as an application to rheumatic 
pains and swellings of the joints. One bushel of the dried 
shavings, heated in an inverted iron vessel, will yield a half pint 
of oil. A decoction of the berries promotes diaphoresis, and is 
also beneficial in rheumatic pains, stiff joints, etc. The leaves 
act very much as savin, being stimulant and emmenagogue, and 
are employed in catamenial obstructions. 

The cedar berry is used in a popular remedy for dropsy, which 
is claimed by some to be highly efficacious. We can readily un- 
derstand the reason that it may prove useful when we remember 
its close alliance with the juniper berry. It is as follows : take 
one handful of the seed of the cedar, the same of mullein, the 
same of the root of dogwood; put into two quarts and a pint of 
water, boil down to one quart, and add one gill of whiskey. 
Dose, a wineglassful night and morning. A cerate is made for 
keeping up the irritation and discharge from blisters ; this is 
quite serviceable, and is prepared by boiling the fresh leaves in 
twice their weight of lard, with the addition of a little wax. 
The fungoid excrescences on this tree are thought to be anthel- 
mintic. 

The wood of the tree is well known. It is sometimes dug up 
in the mud of our swamps in a perfect state of preservation. 
It is aromatic, light, soft, bearing exposure to water and 
weather, and suitable for all kinds of cabinet work, in the con- 
struction of posts, staves, buckets, the inner work of houses, 
and particularly in the building of boats. Cedar boxes are not 
infested by insects, moths, etc., and are used for storing away 
woollens. The leaves also prevent the attacks of insects when 
spread over cloth. The roots make a beautiful purple dye. 



590 

Class III. ENDOGENS, OR MONOCOTYLEDONS. 

MAHANTACE^E. {The Arrowroot Tribe.) ' 

BERMUDA AEROWEOOT, {Maranta Arundinacea.) Culti- 
vated at the South for domestic use. 

U. S. Disp. 449 ; Eoyle, Mat. Med. 585 ; Bell's Pract. Diet. 48. 
See authors. The root is grated, washed, and then dried in the 
Bun on flat dishes. I have seen arrowroot flower beautifully 
prepared by ladies, who employ it for dietetic purposes, and 
also for starching muslins. 

In a report to the Patent Office by Eobert Gamble, of 
Elorida, published in volume of 1851, p. 326, he says : 

"The Bermuda arrowroot flourishes throughout South Flo- 
rida, producing even in the pine lands, from 200 to 300 bushels 
to the acre, the quantit}^ being largely increased when planted 
on rich lands. The yield of merchantable arrowroot flour ob- 
tained by very imperfect mills is from six to eight pounds to 
the bushel — worth from 25 to 30 cents per pound. Along our 
Atlantic coast south of 27° the Cumpti, or Indian arrowroot, 
grows spontaneously, giving results nearly equal to that of 
Bermuda, with the advantage that it requires no cultivation. 
The sole labor consists in bringing it from the forest lands and 
conveying it to the mill, the simple stirring occasioned by the 
digging being sufficient to secure a better crop than the one just 
removed. The Sisal hemp grows readily and luxuriantly, even 
upon our pine lands, and will eventually become a valuable 
staple; but in the multitude of others it is at present over- 
looked. So, also, the Palma Christi, which becomes a tree, and 
is perennial." See "Jerusalem Artichoke" (Cynara) and "Po- 
tato," {Convolvulus), for substances yielding starch. P. O. Ee- 
ports on Agriculture, p. 324, 1858, contain a condensation of a 
report before the Am. Pharm. Assoc, by R. M. Batty, of Rome 
Ga., on the "Production and Manufacture of Arrowroot in the 
South," with an account of the apjjaratus used in rasping. It is 
made a staple crop by one or two gentlemen near St. Mary's, 
and 2,900 pounds of Georgia arrowroot was sold in Savannah 
in one year. It can be raised by any farmer or planter. 
"Costing no actual money expended, the consumption of it as 
a dietetic article is unrestrained, and it supplies the place in 



591 

great measure of corn starch, farina, Irish moss, gelatine, and 
even rice and flour, in the preparation of delicacies for the 
table as well as the invalid's chamber." The yield of roots of 
all sizes to the acre is about 150 bushels. Col. Hallows, St. 
Mary's, G-a., has gone largely into the field culture, and has 
erected extensive buildings and machinery. Another species of 
plant grows wild also in South Florida, from which Florida 
arrowroot is made. It is called Coonti, and is described in the 
New Am. Enc. as a species of sago palm, (Zamia integrifoUa.) 
See Florida arrowroot, Zamia, in this volume. A fecula was 
formerly prepared and used by the Florida Indians from the 
Chamcerops serrulata, or saw palmetto. 

The cultivation of the arrowroot is precisely that of the sweet 
potato. A rich, fresh, sandy soil, a large, full bed, the seed 
(roots) placed six inches deep and a foot apart, careful hoeing 
and keeping the bed up, constitute the culture. The seed roots 
should be planted as soon as the spring is confirmed — with us 
about the middle of March. The smaller tubers or roots are to 
be selected for seed, and are best preserved by placing ten to 
fifteen bushels in a conical heap, stacking closely around them 
a layer of corn-stalks, and placing over the whole a coating of 
two or three inches of earth. The object is to keep up a uni- 
form temperature, and to avoid dampness and the extremes of 
heat and cold. The plants are allowed to grow until the leaves 
and stems are slightly affected by the frost ; the roots are then 
to be dug as potatoes, the larger selected for manufacture and 
the smaller for seed. Those intended for manufacture are to be 
stacked in heaps of twenty to twenty-five bushels in the same 
way as directed fur the seed roots. They must be carefully 
protected from the cold, as the fecula is changed by freezing. 

The following is the mode of manufacturing for family use : 
The roots are washed, the scales on the outside removed by 
hand with a knife, and then again washed and placed in a tub 
of pure water. The next operation is to rasp down the roots 
by pressing them endwise against the circumference of the 
rasping machine. (P. O. Eeports, 1858, see plate vi.) This 
machine consists of two wooden discs, framed as large pulleys, 
about three and a half feet in diameter, placed six inches apart 
and covered with strong tinned iron, punched from within like 
a coarse nutmeg grater. It revolves around a central axis of 



592 

wood with as great a velocity as can be given without throwing 
off the water from its circumference. A large trough is placed 
under the wheel, which is kept nearly full of water, the wheel 
dipping into the trough about six inches. As the wheel re- 
volves the grated pulp is washed off into the trough, and when 
it becomes too thick the mass is passed into a large tub and the 
ti'ough refilled with fresh water. The pulp collected in the tub 
is then pressed b}' hand until the fecula is separated from the 
fibre, and after removing the latter the fecula is allowed to 
settle to the bottom. The next and most important operation 
is to pour off the water from the sediment, and when the latter 
has become pretty firm, to break it carefully into cakes and 
with a large knife blade to remove from the bottom all sand 
and other impurities. The cleansed portion is then to be re- 
suspended in a tub of pure water, allowed again to settle, again 
dried and cleansed. This operation must be repeated until the 
fecula settles in a perfectly white and clean cake. On the care- 
ful performance of this part of the manufacture depends the 
excellence of the article. The cakes are next to be broken up 
and placed upon cotton cloth stretchers until thoroughly dry 
and pulverulent, when the powder should be firmly packed in 
boxes or barrels. Air-drying in the shade is preferable to sun- 
drying, and dust must be sedulously avoided. Whatever the 
scale of manufacture and the machinery used, the essential 
points are : 1st, maturity of the roots ; 2d, cleansing the roots 
before rasping ; 3d, rasping so as completely to separate the 
fecula from the fibre; 4th, separating the fecula from sand and 
all other impurities by frequent agitation and subsidence; 5th, 
thorough and careful drying to avoid mustiness or mildew ; 6th, 
packing so as effectually to exclude the air. 

The principle of separating fecula being the same, any labor- 
saving machinery adapted to the manufacture of potato starch 
may be applied to arrowroot. On a large scale there would be 
great economy in driving several rasping machines by an 
engine, agitating the feculent mass from the rasj^er in large vats, 
filtering through cloths, drying by hot air in large buildings 
furnished with cloth stretchers, etc. Tinned iron is used for 
the rasping part of the mill, and wooden vessels for washing 
and precipitation. The reader will consult the article cited for 
the best mode of cultivation. 



593 

The writer quotes from Mr, Hamilton Cooper or Col. Hal- 
lowes, I believe, as follows: "There is no secret in making 
arrowroot. The great requisition, after the roots have been 
well washed and reduced to a fine pulp, is an abundance of 
water together with great cleanliness, and until the hands are 
well trained, the constant vigilance of the master. The latter 
is more or less necessary at all times. The pulp is passed at 
one operation through three sets of sieves of different degrees 
of fineness, put into motion by machinery, and using an abun- 
dance of water. As it is strained the fluid runs into vats, 
where it is allowed to settle, the water drawn off and fresh 
water added, stirring up the sediment thoroughly. This pro- 
cess is repeated a second time, and it is then strained through 
sieves of the finest bolting cloth, again washed with successive 
portions of water, allowed to settle in tubs, water decanted, 
and the tubs removed to the drjnng-house, where the fecula, 
when settled into a solid mass, is broken up and placed on 
frames of convenient size, covered with cotton shirting, which 
are carried into the drying-room, heated artificially, and al- 
lowed to remain eighteen to twenty-four hours, taken out, 
allowed to cool, and put into bins ready for packing. I use 
boxes containing about one hundred pounds each. In the 
course of the process of the manufacture I have attempted to 
describe, three thousand gallons of water are used daily, all of 
which is furnished by a well of the purest water, not exceeding 
twelve feet in depth. The use of tank water, it is thought, 
may be the cause of the pearly appearance of Bermuda arrow- 
root, or the greater maturity of the plant. Ure says it re- 
quires eleven months to mature in the Island of St. Vincent." 
"What is called Portland sago is made from the Arum maculatum; 
we have two species in the Southern States. See " An^m," in 
this volume. 

I have seen the plant cultivated and».the arrowroot prepared 
on the plantations in St. John's Berkeley, S. C. The great value 
of arrowroot as an article of food for the sick and convales- 
cent, and its consequent great utility to armies in the field, 
make it particularly desirable that its culture should be ex- 
tended. I therefore introduce the following directions by the 
late Grovernor Seabrook of South Carolina. The method of cul- 
ture is simple, and is as follows : upon a piece of ground moder- 
38 



594 

ately high, and of a loose soil, make small beds three feet 
asunder, and at the distance of every two feet drop one seed, 
which should be covered about two inches deep. The middle 
of March is the proper season for planting, and no care or atten- 
tion is subsequently required but to keep the plants free from 
grass and weeds. After the first frost they should be dug, and 
when you have selected the seed it is necessary for their preser- 
vation that they should be buried at least one foot in some dry 
and warm spot. The preparation of the root for food is tedious, 
and in consequence of the toughness of the outer coat it would 
be advisable to perform the operation as speedily as possible 
after digging. As soon as this is effected, grate the roots in a 
clean vessel of water, then pass the contents thereof through a 
sieve ; this must be repeated, taking care to change the water at 
every successive operation so long as any coarse particles re- 
main in the sieve. The water is then allowed to settle, and if it 
exhibits a clear and natural appearance the sediment is in a fit 
state to be dried, which should be done, if possible, in the sun, 
and in a confined situation, where no dust can reach it. To a 
tablespoonful thus prepared pour on a pint of boiling water, 
stirring it at the same time briskly, to which add a little sugar 
and nutmeg, and you will then have a jelly as pleasant as it is 
healthful. Boiled with milk it is excellent. 

When Starch is obtained from any other plant than one of 
the grains, as from potatoes, corn, flag, bryony, horse-chestnut, 
wild orchis, dogbane, burdock, iris, henbane, patience, ranun- 
culus, etc., it is known by the name of fecula. Chaptal describes 
two processes for extracting starch, by washing with cold water 
and by fermentation, the latter being UiOre efficient. 

When starch is to be extracted by cold water, the substance 
must either be reduced to the state of flour or be broken so that 
the pulp can be acted upon by the water. In the first place the 
flour of wheat is kneaded with water till it takes the consis- 
tency of a stiff paste; this is placed on a cloth stretched tightly 
over a tub and cold water thrown upon it; the kneading with 
the hand is continued till the water runs off clear; the fecula is 
carried off by the water and deposited at the bottom of the 
tubs ; the water retains in solution the sugar and the extractive 
matter of the farina, while the insoluble gluten alone remains 
upon the filter ; the deposit is washed to free it from any foreign 



595 

substance and then dried. When it is not wished that the sub- 
stance containing the fecula should be reduced to floui', it may 
be broken in a mortar or under a millstone, or it may be grated ; 
the pulp is then to be placed upon a very fine horse-hair sieve 
and water thrown upon it till it runs off clear, care being taken 
to stir the pulp constantly with the hand and to squeeze it hard. 
When the substance from which the fecula is to be extracted is 
fleshy and of a loose, spongy texture, it can be reduced to a 
pulp by means of a press ; the juice thus expressed deposits the 
fecula, which must be carefully washed in order that the noxious 
principles contained in it may be perfectly separated. The 
whiteness and excellence of the fecula depends upon its being 
thoroughly washed. 

Fermentation is the means most commonly employed for 
extracting starch from grain, but this operation will produce 
only alcohol if care be not taken in mixing the acid with the 
grain to prevent the spirituous fermentation. This acid is made 
by mixing with a bucket of hot water two pounds of baker's 
yeast, to which is added two days after several buckets of hot 
water ; in forty-eight hours from that time the acid will be 
sufiiciently developed. This acid, which is called by the starch 
manufacturers swe water, is thrown into a hogshead having one 
end taken out. The hogshead is then filled half full of common 
water, into which flour is stirred till it is full ; the whole is then 
left to macerate during ten days in summer and fourteen in 
winter. The sufficiently advanced state of the maceration may 
be known by a deposit being formed and the liquor above it 
remaining clear, while the surface is covered with foam or fat 
loater. The water and foam are drawn off, and the deposit is 
thrown into a sack of haircloth, which is placed in a tub and 
water thrown over it till it runs off without any cloudiness. 
The substance remaining in the bag, which is only the coarsest 
part, serves as a food for cattle. At the end of two or three 
days the water floating above the deposit formed in the tub is 
drawn off, and a part of it preserved to serve as sure water for 
succeeding operations. 

In order to have good starch, the water must be washed in a 
great deal of water and well mixed; two or three days after 
the water for the remaining washings may be thrown on. 
The deposit which forms presents three layers, differing widely 



59(5 

in their quality ; the first is principally composed of fragments, 
and is taken off as food for cattle or to fatten hogs with. The 
second layer is generally formed of the mealy part of the vege- 
table mixed with some other substances ; the product of this 
layer is known under the name of common starch. The third 
layer contains the purest and heaviest starch, but in order to 
give it all the qualities it ought to possess it must be washed 
with water, and the water afterward separated from it by fil- 
tration through a sieve of silk, so as to free it from all impurities. 
With these precautions starch may be obtained fitted for any 
use. As soon as the starch has been well washed it is put into 
baskets lined with linen to be well drained. It is afterward 
divided into loaves, and the drying finished by exposing it in 
the open air upon laths. Before packing for sale, the surface of 
the loaves, which is lightly colored, is scraped, and the drying 
of them is completed in the sun or in a stove. Starch acted 
upon b}"" sulphuric acid is converted into sugar, and in this state 
may be made to undergo the vinous fermentation ; a few years 
since extensive establishments were formed in France for supply- 
ing numerous distilleries with the fecula of the potato which 
had been treated in this manner. 

AMAKILLIDACEyE. (The Narcissus Tribe.) 

Some of these are poisonous, and Lindley says that it is one 
of the few of the monocotyledonous orders in which any poi- 
sonous properties are found. 

SISAL HEMP, (Agave Sisalana.) 

This gigantic plant has been introduced into Florida by Dr. 
Henry Perrine, who was consul at Yucatan. It is said by W. 
C. Dennis, of Key West, (P. O. Reports, 1855, p. 243,) to de- 
light in arid, rocky land, which contains a superabundance of 
lime. It is adapted probably only to the south of Florida, where 
it can be cultivated during the absence of frost. It does not 
require a great deal of culture, but grows on arid, rocky soil 
around Key West unfitted for any other purpose. " In fact, 
the land on these keys and much of it on the southern point of 
the peninsula is nearly worthless for every other agricultural 
purpose, so far as known, yet there are thousands of acres in 
this region where a ton of clean Sisal hemp can be made to the 



597 

acre yearly, after the plant has arrived at such an advanced 
state of maturity as will allow the lower leaves to be cut from 
it, which takes in this climate from three to five years to grow, 
according to the goodness of the soil. Nor is there any longer 
a doubt as to the goodness of the fibre, a number of tons hav- 
ing already been collected and sent to market, where it readily 
brought within a half cent to a cent per pound as much as the 
best kind of Manilla hemp; that is, in the neighborhood of two 
hundred and fifty dollars per ton." See article cited for method 
of planting and preparing. " About a thousand plants should 
be set on an acre, and from young ones coming up from the 
long lateral roots ; if these be kept at proper distances it will 
be seen that the same land requires no replanting if coarse 
vegetable manure be applied from time to time. After the plant 
is of Sufficient growth the lower leaves are cut off at proper 
times, leaving enough on the top to keep it healthy. These 
leaves are composed of a soft, watery pulp, and are from two 
to six feet long, and in the middle from four to six inches wide, 
being frequently three inches thick at the butt, but having the 
general shape of the head of a lance. They contain a gum, which 
is the chief cause of their being rather troublesome in sepa- 
rating the fibres from the pulp. Neither the epidermis nor this 
pulp is more than a powder after becoming dry if the gum be 
entirely crushed and washed out." 

" This is a most important fact in relation to the manner to be 
adopted to cleanse the fibres from the pulp. As these are con- 
tinuous, and parallel, and imbedded in it, I feel certain that a 
system of passing the leaves through a series of heavy iron 
rollers firmly set, something after those used in crushing sugar- 
cane, and throwing water on the crushed leaves, in jets or other- 
wise, in sufficient quantities to wash out the gum, (which is per- 
fectly soluble in it,) will thoroughly clean out the fibres, without 
any loss, so that after they are dry, and have been beaten to 
get out the dust, they will be fit for market ; at any rate, the 
right plan for sepai'ating the fibres has not yet been discovered, 
although there has been enough done at it to show that they 
can be got at a profit." 

I obtain the following statements from the Patent Office Ke- 
ports, 1856, p. 252, by W. C. Dennis : " The plant evidently re- 
quires dry, hot weather, as well as a dry soil ; for since I have 



598 

observed its growth I have never seen it suffer from drouth in 
the driest and hottest weather and in the most arid spots, pro- 
vided its roots could find a plenty of the right kind of soil. 
The meteorological record for the last twenty-five years shows 
that this plant is well adapted to these keys and the southern 
extremity of the peninsula, for such winters as the two desig- 
nated are evidently rare. 

"It would seem that there are lands enough in Florida, south 
of the limit where the frost would injure this plant, to grow 
it in sufficient quantities for the present and prospective wants 
of the country, and that, too, in a frontier region which it is of 
national importance to settle. As far as known, these lands are 
not well adapted to an extended range of agricultural products, 
yet I am certain that the tropical Agaves in all their varieties 
will flourish here in the greatest perfection. 

" Mr. Hermonds, of Indian Eiver, Florida, says that Sisal 
hemp grows well there, and has continued to thrive well for 
years. He thinks that my last year's estimate of the product 
per acre is too low for that region. The experiments I have 
made within the past year in getting out a number of tons of 
this fibre convince me there are but few difficulties in accom- 
plishing this work cheaply. These experiments prove that if 
all the vesicles of the leaves are ruptured by crushing or rolling, 
the pulp and gum are easily washed out either by salt water or 
fresh. The plan which I found most successful was to roll the 
leaves, being careful to rupture all the vessels, then con Hne these 
crushed leaves in an open-work wooden frame or box, which I 
placed in such a manner that the tides forced the sea- water 
through them both at the ebb and flow. In this manner the 
gum and pulp were so far washed out in from three to six days 
(according to the temperature of the air and water) that by 
beating the fibres a little after they were dry they were fit for 
market.* 

" Mr. Hermonds mentioned as a tested fact that steeping the 
crushed leaves in boiling water, even for a few minutes, at once 
dissolved the gum and cleaned the fibre. This renders it almost 
certain that where a steam engine is used to propel rollers and 
crush the leaves the waste steam can be rendered effective to 

"Would not this method be objectionable on account of the difficulty of 
drying the fibre or the materials manufactured therefrom ? D. J. B. 



599 

clean this hemp by blowing it off between the rollers, aided by a 
little water in a jet, while the leaves are passing through. 

" The amount of the imports and consumption in this country 
of fibres similar to Sisal hemp in 1854, was over $2,500,000, of 
which more than $1,500,000 was for Manilla and Indian hemps, 
and over $1,000,000 for gunny bags and cloth, jutes, etc. 

"I am of opinioQ that this hemp can be cleaned, and cheaply, 
by running the leaves through a series of powerful rollers, 
having water dashed on them during the operation ; and this 
plan would be much facilitated in this region from the fact that 
the gum of the leaves seems equally soluble in salt water as in 
fresh. But experiment must decide which of the methods 
would be the best. Care must be taken not to allow the leaves 
or fibi'es to come in contact with the mud or other substances 
which will stain them while they are in a damp state; and it 
will be well to have them in the sun, or strong light, while 
under the process of cleaning and drying ; for the juice of the 
plant is both a saponaceous and a bleaching fluid. 

" Last year I spoke of the fact that the celebrated pulque 
plant {Agave pulque) was introduced by Dr. Perrine. It grows 
enormously large here where there is sufficient depth of soil, 
and although I presume that the mean temperature is too high 
to make from it the Mexican drink, yet alcohol could be dis- 
tilled from its juice, and probably the leaf can be made to yield 
a cheap and abundant material for paper. The ancient Aztec 
made much of tbe paper on which his picture-writing was trans- 
cribed out of the leaves of one or more of the varieties of the 
Agave ; and this pulque plant moat likely is one of the kinds ; 
for its thick, fleshy leaves, containing very fine fibres, are some- 
times eight feet long, and ft-om seven to eight inches broad." 

Agave Virginica, L. Called by negroes rattlesnake's master. 
Grows in damp soils ; collected in Wassamasaw, St. John's ; 
vicinity of Charleston. 

Ell. Bot. i, 402. A domestic remedy for flatulent colic ; used 
in Charleston District for the bite of the rattlesnake. 

AT AMASCO LILY, {Amaryllis atamasco, L.) G-rows in damp 
soils; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. 

Ell. Bot. i, 384. This is supposed to produce the disease in 
cattle called " staggers." 



600 

Pancratium mai'itimum, Walt. Pancratium Carolinianum, L. 
" Seen by Catesby in the Parachucla savanna, St. Peter's Parish," 
Ell.; collected on Cooper Kiver, St. John's. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. v, 179 ; Dioscorides, lib. ii, c. 
168. Pliny also speaks of it, lib. xvii, c. 12. The bulbs are 
bitter and emetic, and are useful in dropsy. Loiseleur, Manuel 
des Plantes Indigenes, 10. In the experience of one writer forty 
grains of the powder produced vomiting five times. 

RMMODORA.C'EM. (The Blood-root tribe.) 

Dilatris tinctoria, Fh. Lachnanthes,'El\.Sk. Newbern; Florida. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 622. The root is astringent and tonic. It 
is distinguished, says Wilson, for yielding a beautiful dj^e : 
hence the name. Eur. Cyc. 

BUEMANMACEiB. 

BLUE TEIPTEEELLA, {Trijoterella coerulia, L.) Grows 
near Savannah and Purysberg ; collected in St. John's, near 
Pinopolis ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. Nov. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 331 ; Nuttall, in Acta, Philad. 723. A 
flavor like that of green tea is discernible in this plant. 

lEIDACE^. {The Corn-flag Tribe.) 

BLUE FLAG, (7m versicolor, L.) Var. a and b. Grows in 
bogs, morasses and inundated lands; collected in St. John's; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Coxe, Am. Disp. 354 ; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 333 ; U. S. Lisp. 
405 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. 105 ; Bartram's Travels, 451 ; Cutler's 
Mem. Am. Acad. 405, 6 ; Ell. Bot. 146; Mer. and de L. Diet, de 
M. Med. iii, 659 ; Frost's Elems. 279." 

The expressed juice is acrid, and has been employed as a 
local application ; it is also purgative, and sometimes occasions 
distressing nausea like sea-sickness, accompanied with prostra- 
tion of strength. The plant is, however, more remarkable for 
its diuretic powers. It was prescribed by Dr. McBride with 
great success in dropsy, combining it with the button snake- 
root, (Eryngium yucca' folium.) The proportions are as follows : 
root of blue flag one ounce; button snakeroot two drachms; 
water half a pound ; which is to be boiled down to one pint 



601 

and taken in divided doses. See Bigelow. This does not dis- 
turb the stomach, and was used with success in cases of hydro- 
thorax combined with anasarca. Bartram said the root was 
considered by the Indians a very powerful cathartic, and it was 
found in artificial ponds made for the purpose near their vil- 
lages. See his Voyage dans la partie sud de I'Amerique Sep- 
tentrionale, ii, 322, and the Supplem. to Mer. and de L. 1846. 
According to Bigelow its active chemical constituent seems to 
be resin, which separates as a white precipitate when water is 
added to the alcoholic tincture. This plant is much employed 
in domestic practice in St. John's in dropsy. 

Dr. H. M. Andrews, of Michigan, has employed it frequently 
as a cathartic, and found it when combined with a grain of 
Cayenne pepper, or two grains of ginger, not less easy and 
eifectual in its operation than the ordinary or more active ca- 
thartics, and preferable on account of its less disagreeable taste. 
N. Y. J. Med. ix, 129. It may be given in substance, decoction 
or tincture. The dose of the dried root is from ten to twenty 
grains. Under the unscientific name of iridin or irisin, which 
Dr. Wood says should be reserved for the pure, active principle 
when discovered, the "Eclectics" have for some time used an 
oleo-rcsin, obtained by precipitating a tincture of the root with 
water, and mixing the precipitate with an equal weight of some 
absorbent powder, for which purpose powdered liquorice root 
would probably answer well. This may be given in the form 
of pill in the dose of three or four grains. It is thought to 
unite, he adds, chologogue and diuretic with aperient properties ; 
and a writer in the London Lancet states that he has found it 
to produce similar effects to those caused by a mixture of blue 
pill, rhubarb and aloes, (Aug. 30, 1862,) U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 
See, also, publications of the " Eclectics." 

Iris Virginica and I. verna. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 625. They are said to possess properties 
similar to those of the I. versicolor. 

BLUE-EYED GEASS, {Sisyrinchium Bermudiana, L. Sisy- 
rinchium mucronatum, Mx.) Fla. and northward. 

The roots of our native species are acrid, and a decoction of 
them is said to be purgative. 

Dr. J. H. Mellichamp writes me that " a tea from the root is 
used by the people about Orangeburg, S. C, as an emetic, which 
was said not to act harshly yet very promptly and efficiently." 



602 
BEOMBLIACE^. {The Pineapple Tribe.) 

LONG MOSS, {Tillandsia tisneoides, Linn.) Grows within 
the tertiary districts of South Carolina ; I have observed it as 
high up as Columbia; Nowbern. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 743 ; Journal de Pharma- 
cien, iii, 185. It is stomachic, purgative, and even diuretic. 
Employed in hemorrhoids. Op. cit. I see no notice of it in the 
American works. Great use is made in South Cai'olina of this 
plant when dried in stuffing chair cushions, mattresses, etc. It 
is stated in a journal, 1863, that Messrs. Segur & Bryars, of 
Union Springs, Ala., are preijaring to enter largely on the manu- 
facture of rope from moss. It can be obtained in abundance. It 
gives to the trees in winter quite a venerable and pleasing 
aspect, and is an indication of great moistui'e. 

OECHIDACEiE. {The Orchis Tribe.) 

Some species of orchis are said to possess aphrodisiac prop- 
erties. The roots when boiled are farinaceous and eatable, 
furnishing an article of food. Attention is invited to those 
growing in the Southern States, among which are severel beau- 
tiful species. They may yield salep, 

Bletia verecunda, N. Elliott is doubtful whether it grows in 
South Carolina. Mich, cultivated it near Charleston ; East Fla. 
Chap. Fl. Aug. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 239. The cormus is said to bo stom- 
achic and ionic ; see Browne's Jamaica. 

Platanthera cristata, Lindl. Orchis cristata, Mx. Fla. and 
northward. 

Dr. VV. T. Grant reports in the Confed. S. Med. J., June, 1864, 
that the P. stricta has great reputation in Ga. in the cure of 
snake bites. 

Bletia aphylla, Nutt. Fla. and N. C. 

The tuberous root, as well as the whole plant, contains a 
great deal of gum and starch. It has a gummy taste, and is 
closely related with Aplectrum hiemale, {CoraUorrhiza of Ell.,) 
which has the name putty-root, probably from the same prop- 
erty of gumminess and adhesiveness. The granules of the 
first named can be seen with the mici'oscope. I have ascer- 
tained that it forms an excellent gum in place of Spalding's 



603 

glue or gum-arabic. Paper united by means of it tears before 
it will separate. It should be well broken up in a little water. 
The putty-root is said to be a good cement for glass or China. 

COEAL EOOT, (Corallorrhiza odontorhiza, Nutt.) Fla. and 
northward. 

The root has a strong peculiar odor, and is said to hold a 
high place in the Materia Medica of the "Eclectics" as an 
energetic diaphoretic, as it is destitute of general stimulating 
properties, being given in fever and inflammatory affections. 
Thirty grains of the powder are given every two hours, U. S. 
Disp., 12th Ed. 

Arethusa bulbosa, L. Bogs on Mts. of Carolina. Mx. 

Schcepf says that the bulbs are useful in toothache and for 
maturating boils. 

YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPEE; YELLOW MOCCASIN, 
(^Cypripedium pubescens, W.) Newbern. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 640. It is employed by the Indians, and 
held in high estimation in domestic practice as a sedative and 
anti-spasmodic, acting like valerian in alleviating nervous 
symptoms ; said to have proved useful in hysteria, and even in 
chorea. A teaspoonful of the powder is taken at a dose. Op. 
cit., and Eaf Med. Fl. 140. More use might be made of this 
tea as a quieting agent in place of paregoric ; see "Tilia." 

My friend. Dr. Miles Starke, of Va., has the highest opinion 
of the virtues of a strong decoction of this plant, (two ounces 
to a pint of water,) in secondary'' syphilis. He used it exclu- 
sively in a number of cases and with success, preferring it to 
Iodide of Potash. It is slightly diuretic. 

Our other species, C. spectabile and C. acaule, are said to pos- 
sess similar properties. E. P. Stevens, of Ceres, Pa., states 
that he has found the two last, especially when growing in 
dark swamps, to be possessed of narcotic properties, and to be 
less safe than the C. parvijlorum, which is gently stimulant with 
a tendency to the nervous system and is quite equal to valerian. 
N. Y. Journal of Med. iv, 359, and U. S. D., 12th Ed. Dr. Ives 
considers O. pubescens the most powerful. Trans. Am. Med. 
Assoc, iii, 312. 

The Eclectics use a substance called cypripedin " by precipi- 
tating with water a concentrated tincture of the roots" a com- 
plex substance, which, Dr. Wood says, has no right to the 
name, which should be reserved for the active principle. 



604 

Dr. E. Ives has employed the C. pubescens "in a variety of 
nervous diseases with advantage, and has known it even to 
cure epilepsy. The other complaints mentioned by him are 
hypochondriasis, neuralgia and morbid sensitiveness of the 
nervous system generally, and especially of the eye." Powder, 
infusion or tincture used ; U. S. T>. 

Epidendrum. Our two species should be examined as they 
are closely related to the vanilla. 

Goodyera pubescens^ E. Br. Fla. and northward. 

The leaves have been used by empirics in scrofula, both in- 
ternally in decoction, and externally as a cataplasm, with some 
success. Gfriffith. 

PALMACE.E. {The Palm Tribe.) 

SAW PALMETTO, {Ghamcerops serrulata, L.) Grows on the 
coast of South Carolina, and at Blythe's Island, in Georgia. 
Mr. Elliott says that it extends also through the pine lands of 
that State. 

Shec. Fl. Carol. 435. The pulp is ver}^ sweet, but is pos- 
sessed of a purgative property, often producing a copious 
evacuation attended with griping. 

A correspondent, " F. I. S., of Charleston "Mercury," from 
Waresboro', Ga., writes as follows in adding to our "resources:" 

"You speak of black moss for mattresses. Our common saw 
palmetto leaves, when split into shreds with a fork or hackle, 
boiled and dried in the sun one or two days, make a light, clean, 
healthy and durable mattress. Let me suggest that palmetto 
pillows would be cheap and comfortable for our soldiers on the 
coast ; their corn and flour sacks would in the absence of any- 
thing better furnish ready-made pillow ticks. Our negroes are 
busily employed in making light, durable and handsome pal- 
metto hats. A bed made from a downy swamp plant, which 
our people call cat's tail, took a premium at the late Agricul- 
tural Fair in Carolina." 

TALL PALMETTO; CABBAGE THEE, {Chamcerops pal- 
metto, Mich. Corypha palmetto, Walter.) Grows along the sea- 
coast; vicinity of Charleston. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 432. 

From this noble and characteristic tree is derived tlie well 
known armorial emblem on the escutcheon of the State of 



605 

South Carolina. It scarcely needs any description at my hands. 
It has been carried in the fore-front of battle by every regi- 
ment in the service of the State from Mexico to Manassas. 
The leaves are employed in the manufacture of hats, baskets, / 
mats, etc. Forts, wharves, conduits and structures under 
water are made of the logs, which do not splinter. The cab- 
bage, or expanded embryo, may be classed among the "most 
delicious vegetables produced for our tables." The tree, how- 
ever, perishes when deprived of these. State enactments should 
forbid their destruction, for ere long when the supply is ex- 
hausted the tree will still be absolutely required. Griffith says 
(Med. Bot. 614) that the bark contains tannin. I am informed 
by persons living in Beaufort, S. C, that the root is used for 
tanning leather. The juice when fermented makes a palatable 
palm wine, which is a property of the East India species of 
corypha. Our "Blue Palmetto" (C hystrix) has thorns like 
porcupine quills. 

Pieces of the spongy part of the stem afford a very good 
substitute for scrubbing brushes, and are much used in Caro- 
lina and Georgia. The leaves of the smaller species afford ex- 
cellent and durable thatch for covering barns and out-houses ; 
and the younger leaves of the cabbage tree are manufactured 
into beautiful light and durable hats. The leaves are whitened 
by brushing a solution of oxalic acid over them once or twice 
and then exposing them to the fumes of burning sulphur. 
During the recent war the tree has been highly useful for this 
purpose. The repent caudex of the saw palmetto, (Farmer's 
Encyc.,) being torn from the surface of the earth, cut into 
proper lengths, dried and burned to ashes, produces the greatest 
quantity of potash of any known vegetable. The drupes, or 
large berries of this species, which are of the size and figure of 
dates, and as sweet, afford good and nourishing food to the 
Indians and hunters. They are not palatable to white people 
till they become accustomed to them. Op. cit. 

DWAKF PALMETTO, {Sabal Adansonii, Guerns. Sabal pu- 
mila, Ell.) Swamps in lower districts. 

Excellent fans may be made of the leaves. The " bane and 
antidote" are both present in abundance in the same locality — 
innumerable mosquitos and the palm-like leaves of the dwarf 
palmetto ! 



606 
MBLANTHACE.E. {The Colchicum Tribe.) 

" Poisonous in every species." 

Melanthium Virginicuni, W. Grows in wet soils. 

Griffith Med. 641. In infusion it is an effectual anthelmintic. 
It will operate as an active poison. The decoction, used as a 
wash, is a certain but somewhat dangerous cure for the itch. 

COMMON BLAZING STAE; DEVIL'S BIT, {Chamcelirium 
lutevm, Gray. Chamcelirium Cai'olinianum, Willd. (K'th's En. PI.) 
Helonias dioica, Ph. and Ell. Sk.) Grows in damp pine barrens; 
collected in St. John's, Chai'leston District, near Pinopolis; vi- 
cinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. July. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. 348; Ell. Bot. i, 423; De Cand. and Dubug. 
472, an. 1828 ; Matson's Veg. Pract. 218. The infusion is an- 
thelmintic and the tincture tonic. Prof. Ives recommends it as 
efficient in checking nausea and vomiting. The Indian women 
employed this plant in preventing abortion. It is used by the 
vegetable practitioners in debility of the digestive organs, given 
in doses of a half teaspoonful of the powder in wai'm water 
three times a day. The root when chewed relieves cough. 

FLY POISON; FALL POISON, {Amianthium muscatoxicum, 
Gray in K'th's En. PI. Heloyiias erythrosperma, Mx. and Ell Sk.) 
Grows in rich, shaded soils ; collected in St. John's ; vicinity of 
Charleston; Fla. Fl. May. 

Ell. Bot. 421. "A narcotic poison, employed in some families 
to destroy the house-fly. The bulbs are triturated and mixed 
with molasses. The flies, if not swept in the fire, or otherwise 
destroyed, revive in the course of twenty-four hours." Its 
foliage poisons cattle which feed upon it in autumn. I would 
invito others to an examination of this plant as a remedial agent, 
as well as the allied genus Xerophyllum and others. 

ITCH-WEED; INDIAN POKE; WHITE HELLEBOEE ; 
CEOW POISON, {Veratruni viride, Veratrum album, Mich.) Ab- 
beville District, S. C; grows in mountain streams. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. 348. ''An acrid emetic and powerful stim- 
ulant, followed by sedative effects." Big. Med. Bot. ii, 125. Dr. 
TuUy also says it is a deobstruent or alterative, an acrid nar- 
cotic, an emetic, an epispastic and an errhine ; found very useful 
in gout, rheumatism, diseases of lungs, and some complaints of 
the bowels. Osgood, in the Am. Journal. Med. Science, states 



607 

that it is perfectly certain in its operation and is, in all respects, 
analogous to colchicum, which it should supersede. Bigelow 
mentions that in his hands it has arrested the ])aroxysni of gout, 
and has given relief in some cases of protracted rheumatism. 
It has been externally employed, in the form of ointment, in 
many cutaneous affections. Mr. Worthington, who made a full 
analysis, found veratria, gallic acid, extractive, etc. See Am. 
Journal Pharm. N. S. iii ; Dr. Osgood's examination. Am. 
Journal Med. Sci. 18.35, and Am. Journal Pharm. i, 202, N. S.; 
Griffith Med. Bot. 644; Am. Journal Pharm. N. S. iv, 89; Raf. 
Med. Fl. 585. The tincture or the extract is the best form of 
administration ; the dose of the first is thirty drops, of the latter 
one-third of a grain, gradually increased. Kalm says that corn 
soaked in a strong decoction will be protected against the en- 
croachment of birds ; those that eat of it becoming giddy fall 
to the ground, and thus deter others. The plant is considered 
eminently deserving the attention of the profession. 

The above was written in my Report printed in 1849. The 
great value of this plant is now (1863) fully recognized as a de- 
pressor of the heart's action. It is also emetic and expectorant. 
As it is scarce, our other species, V. intermedium, growing in 
Florida, and V. parviflorum of Mx., found in the mountains of 
North Carolina, should be examined. Many of the recent 
journals and medical treatises contain full descriptions of the 
application of the V. viride to the treatment of typhoid and 
yellow fevers, pneumonia, etc. See Charleston Medical Journal 
for Drs. Ford and White's paper on the treatment of yellow 
fever with this agent. The same journal (vii, 768) contains 
papers by Norwood, J. A. Mayes and others on the employment 
of this powerful sedative. See, also, a full account of the prop- 
erties and uses of this plant by Dr. J. Bell iu the N. A. Med- 
Chirurg. Rev. ii, 914. Its discovery is encouraging to those 
who believe that the same persevei'ance and enlightened skill 
which gave us quinine, morphia and chloroform, may add still 
more conquests, as greater familiarity is attained with the veg- 
etable wealth of our country. Dr. C. R. Harris reports in the 
Confed. S. Med. J. Aug., 1864, a violent case of maniacal ex- 
citement from drink which was relieved by eight drops repeated 
of Dr. Norwood's Tincture. He also recommended it in acute 
inflammations of the brain or its membranes. I have used it 



608 

repeatedly in pneumonia and typhoid fever, both in private 
practice and whilst in cliarge of military hospitals at Norfolk 
and Petersburg, and have found it often advisable to give stim- 
ulants and supportive treatment at the same time, I have also 
seen it relieve violent coughs coming on suddenly and depen- 
dent upon nervous irritation. The dose of the tincture of V. 
viride is three to four drops, cautiously increased. The remedy 
for an overdose is alcoholic stimulants. Dr. Norwood, of South 
Carolina, deserves great credit for establishing the method of 
using the V. viride. His tincture is made by macerating eight 
ounces of the dried root in sixteen ounces of alcohol for two 
weeks ; dose, from six to eight drops, repeated cautiously every 
three hours, gradually increasing till its effects are produced. 
The roots should be collected in autumn ; they deteriorate. 

Veratrum parvijiorum and angustifolium. Both are found at 
the South ; they are probably active, and should be examined. 

INDIAN CUCUMBEE; VIRGINIAN MEDEOL A, (G^?/ro- 
mia Virginica, Medeola Virginica, Linn, and Ell. Sk.) Grows in 
moist soils ; generally found under beech trees; Newbern. Fl. 
June. 

U. S. Disp. 274. Pursh states that the root was eaten by the 
Indians, Dr. Barton thought it useful in dropsies. Bart. M. 
Bot.j Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 318. It enjoys some reputation as a 
hydragogue. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iv, 270 ; according 
to which it is esteemed a very active diuretic. De Cand. Es- 
sai, 293. 

BIRTHWOET, {Trillium sessile, L.) Eare ; grows in rich 
shaded soil ; collected in St. John's, near Wantoot PL; vicinity 
of Charleston ; I have observed it on the Ashley road. Fl. 
May. It belongs to the Smilax family. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 348. "Eoots generally violently 
emetic." The species are astringent, tonic and alterative, used 
by the Indians in diseases of females, and as preparatory to par- 
turition. Eiddell, Griffith, We have several species in the 
Southern States. 

Trillium erectutn. Dr. Wood states (U. S. Disp., 12th Ed.) 
that the roots of the plants of the genus Trillium were noticed 
as medicinal in Henry's Herbal, published in 1812; and that 
Dr. H. S. Williams ptiblished papers concerning them in the N. 
Eng. Journ. of Med. and Surg, in 1820, and in N. Y. Journ. 



609 

Med, viii, 94. The following account is furnished by Dr. Wood : 
The roots have a somewhat balsamic odor and taste, and pro- 
duce, when chewed, a sense of heat and iri'itation, with an in- 
creased flow of saliva. A root received by Mr. E. S. Wayne, of 
Cincinnati, was found by him to give a deep blue with tincture 
of iodine. He found in it an acrid principle, analagous to sen- 
egin and saponin in the property of frothing with water; half a 
grain in two ounces of water being sufficient to show this prop- 
erty, (Proc. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 1856, and Am. J. Pharm. xxviii, 
512.) Besides this acrid principle the Trillia roots are said to 
contain volatile oil, gum, starch, extractive, resin, and tannic 
acid. They are astringent; and tonic, expectorant and altera- 
tive properties have been ascribed to them. The complaints in 
which they are said to have j)roved most advantageous are the 
hemorrhages ; but they have also been used in cutaneous affec- 
tions, and externally in obstinate ulcers. Dr. Williams gave a 
drachm of the powdered root three times a da3^ Of the different 
species T. erectum is generally esteemed most active. T. pendu- 
lum (not included by Chapman in his So. Flora) is referred to in 
the Peninsular and Independent Med. Journ., Jan., 1859, 187, as 
among the most valued medicinal plants of Michigan, being 
used especially in menorrhagia. U. S. Disp. 

LILIACE^. {The Lily Tribe.) 

DOG'S TOOTH VIOLET ; ADDEE'S TONGUE, {Erythro- 
nium Americanum, L. Erythronium lanceolatum, Ph.) Grows in 
the upper districts and in Georgia; sent to me from Abbeville 
by Mr. Reed. Fl. April. 

U. S. Disp. 318 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 151 ; Mer. and de L. 
Diet! de Mat. Med. iii, 147 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 269 ; Bart. Flora 
N. Am. 133 ; Griffith Med. Bot. The recent bulbs are emetic 
when powdered and given in doses of twenty to forty grains. 
When dried or cooked they become eatable. The berries are 
said to be more active and certain in their operation than the 
root. 

BEAR-GRASS; ADAM'S NEEDLE, {Yucca filamentosa, L.) 
Diffused ; I have collected it in Sumter District, S. C. 

A tincture of the roots is much employed in rheumatism. I 
am told by correspondents in Statesburg, S. C, that in large 
39 



610 

doses it produces giddiness. This statement should excite fur- 
ther attention to the plant. The -' Cherokee doctors " use it in 
the form of a poultice of the roots, or a salve, as a local applica- 
tion in allaying inflammation. 

The fibre is uncommonly strong, and is used for various pur- 
poses on our plantations: for making thongs for hanging up the 
heaviest hams, bacon, etc. I do not know whether it has been 
tried as a substitute for hemp and cordage, as Mr. W. G. Simms 
suggests in a letter to me. 

I have since (Julj^, 1862) seen an article in the Charleston 
Courier, entitled "Confederate Flax," in which it is stated that 
Mr. D. Ewart, of Florida, had presented for exhibition "speci- 
mens of scutched fibre, and of cordage and twine of different 
sizes, made from the very common plant familiarly known as 
bear-grass, or Adam's needles." He also communicated the 
processes employed in reducing it to cordage. The Columbus 
(Ga.) Sun, of a later date, reports a coil of rope made by Mr. 
Jas. Torrey, which was pronounced by competent authority to 
be equal to Kentucky rope. The plants in the above instance 
were rotted and prepared by negroes. 

Gov. Call, (see Southern Cultivator, p. 27, vol. 5, 1847,) in 
stating that the Bear-grass is an evergreen, says that it may be 
prepared for use at any season, as it sustains no loss or depi'e- 
ciation by remaining in the ground. Six months' growth will 
give a plant of good size, and the hemp made from such a 
plant will be as long and possess quite as much strength as that 
made from plants of older growth. But it will have fewer 
leaves, and consequently produce less fibre. It will require 
planting but once in a lifetime, and with but little culture will 
produce abundant crops of five or six tons per acre. " After 
boiling the leaves and putting them up in small bundles of con- 
venient size for the purpose, I have passed them through an 
ordinary wooden sugar mill, dipping them in water at each 
passage until the surplus matter has been removed, leaving the 
fibres perfectly cleansed, unimpaired, and ready for use." It 
can be propagated by cutting the roots, like the sweet potato. 
The same number contains a report from the Secretary of War 
upon the same subject. Congress allowed Dr. Perrine a grant 
of land in Florida for the purpose of raising Sisal and other 
hemp plants. His death defeated the enterprise. 



611 

ONION-TREhl; MEADOW GARLIC, (Allium Ganadense, 
W.) Grows in damp soils ; Newbern ; Fla. and northward. 

Griffith Med. Bot. 653. It is employed as a substitute for the 
common garlic, and it is said to be fully as efficient. Its top 
bulbs are greatly prized for pickling, being considered of supe- 
rior flavor to the common onion for that purpose. For cultiva- 
tion, see Farm. Encyc, G. W. Johnson. Most of the exotic 
alliaceous plants, the leek, onion, garlic, etc., are cultivated in 
the Southern States. Cotton or wool wet with the juice of 
garlic, and applied to the ear, is said to relieve deafness. The 
juice or syrup is given to infants with colic ; a few drops being 
used in place of paregoric. Said to be both stimulant and car- 
minative. 

WILD GARLIC, {Allium Carolinianum.') 

Several species of alliaceous plants grow within the Southern 
States. The juice of garlic acts medicinally as an expectorant. 
It is a strong cement for broken glass and China. Preparations 
of garlic will expel snails, grubs, moles, worms, etc., placed 
near their haunts. Wilson's Rural Cyc. 

Schoenolirion Michauxii, Ton*. Swamps and pine barrens ; 
Florida and westward. Chap. 

The bulbous roots of this and the Nolina Georgiana, Mx., are 
allied to the squill, and should be examined. 

STAR-GRASS ; BLAZING STAR; AGUE ROOT ; UNI- 
CORN ROOT, {Aletris fariyiosa, L.) Diffused in damp pine 
lands; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston ; New- 
bern. Fl. July. 

Big. Am. Med. Bot. iii, 92 ; Pe. Mat. Med, and Therap. ii, 
121 ; Frost's Elems. 283; Mer. and de L. Diet, de Mat. Med. i, 
161; Lind. Nat Syst. Bot. 353 ; Clayton's Phil. Trans. Ab. viii, 
333; Cutler, Am. Acad, i, 435; Griffith Med. Bot. 623. "The 
root is tonic and stomachic in small doses, but one of twenty 
grains occasions nausea, with a tendency to vomit." Lind. 
Nat. Syst. Bigelow knew of no plant exceeding this in 
genuine, intense and permanent bitter. Pursh says it is an 
excellent remedy in colic ; Cullen, in chronic rheumatism ; and 
Dr. Thacher, in dropsical affections. Infused in vinegar, it is 
given in intermittent fever attended with dropsical accumula- 
tions. The decoction of the root and leaves in liberal doses is 
much employed in popular practice in the lower portions of 



612 

South Carolina. The root is quite resinous, and is supposed to 
contain a portion of extractive matter, hence its use in coughs 
and colds, as it does not at the same time impair the tone of 
the digestive organs. It is said to produce soreness of the 
mouth. Ten grains act as a tonic. The tincture is the strong- 
est preparation. It is employed also by the vegetable practi- 
tioners. See Howard's Imp. Syst. Bot. Med. 285. 

YELLOW STAE-GEASS, (Aletris aurea, Walter.) Grows in 
similar situations ; collected in St. John's Berkele}'^, near Pinop- 
olis ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, i, 39 ; Frost's Elems. 283 ; U. S. Disp. 
67. It is purgative and nauseating in large doses, probably 
possessed of properties similar to the above. 

LILY OF THE VALLEY, (Convallaria majalis.) According 
to Elliott, grows on the highest mountains of South Carolina. 

Bull. Plantes Yen. de France, 164. The power of the leaves 
is said to be a very active sternutatory. Dem. Elem. de Bot. by 
Gillibert, ii, 6. Some practitioners order the powder of the 
leaves in epileptic affections, depending upon verminous influ- 
ence. The flowers furnish a good deal of essential oil. "We 
have tried with success a powder of the flowers in inveterate 
pain of the head." Trans, from o-p. cit. This was taken in the 
nostrils as snufF. Dr. Wood, in the U. S. Disp. 1249, confirms 
the assertion in reference to the power the flowers possess of 
exciting sneezing. They have a delightful odor, resembling 
that of musk, and when dried and powdered are much em- 
ployed as a sternutatory, acting sometimes quite violently. 
According to Merat they are esteemed in nervous headaches 
and vertigo ; and when pulverized are emetic and purgative. 
See Diss. Botanico Med. Inaug. de Lilium. Conval. 1718, Al 
Torfii ; Diss. Inaug. at Gottingen, 1757 ; one by Misdorf, in 
1742 ; and another by Schultze, in the same year. Shec, in his 
Flora Carol. 431, states that the dried flowers are narcotic. 
" The extract of the root and flowers possesses purgative prop- 
erties similar to aloes." The poultice of the root enjoys some 
celebrity for taking away the marks of bruises, etc. With the 
addition of lime to the leaves a beautiful green color is obtained. 
The dose of the simple distillation of the flowers is four ounces ; 
when powdered sixty grains ; of extract two to three grains. 
The berries are large, and scarlet colored. The plant is much 



613 

admired and cultivated throughout Europe. The dried flowers 
have a narcotic odor, and when pulverized they provoke 
sneezing, and may be used as a sternutatory. Rural Cyc. 

G. F. Walz, by a chemical analysis, has discovered two prin- 
ciples, convallarin and convallamarin, (Am. J. Pharm., Nov., 
1859.) Taken internally the flowers are said to be emetic and 
cathartic, and their extract purges actively in the dose of half 
a drachm. U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. 

SOLOMON'S SEAL, (Convallaria multiflora, Polygonatum mul- 
tiflorum, Desfont. and Ell. Sk.) Grows in damp soils. 

U. S. Disp. 1249. This is used in similar cases with the 
European species, (the Con. polygonatum,) the root of which was 
employed as a cosmetic, and which, according to Hermann, is a 
gooct remedy in gout and rheumatism. See Nouv. Journal de 
Med. V, 209. Thirty grains of the dried root is given in Russia 
as a preventive against plague. Bull des Sc. Med. v, 209. Dr. 
G. M. Maclean considers the C. polygonatum one of the best 
diuretics he has used when given in infusion. N. Y. J. Med. x, 
375; U. S. Disp., 12th Ed. Mills, in his Statistics of S. C, 
states that from the leaves a beautiful and durable green color 
can be obtained. 

Polygonatum bijlorum, L. P. pubescens, Pursh. This, Conval- 
laria majalis, (lily of the valley,) and species of the genus Smi- 
lacina, (Solomon's seal,) growing in the Southern States, yield 
starch from their roots. I have often noticed the tuberous roots 
of Convallaria biflora. Starch is abundant in them. 

Uvularia perfoliata, L. Grows in damp soils ; collected in St. 
John's. Fl. June. 

GriflSth's Med. Bot. 641. The roots of the different species 
are subacid and mucilaginous when fresh ; and a decoction of 
them has been employed as a domestic remedy in sore mouth 
and in affections of the throat ; also considered as alexipharmic 
in snake bites. The roots are, however, edible when cooked, 
and the young shoots are a very good substitute for asparagus. 
See, also, Smilax. 

Uvularia sessiliflora, L. Collected in St. Stephen's Parish, S. 
C; in damp soils. Fl. July. Similar in properties to the above. 

ASPARAGUS, {Asparagus officinalis, L.) Ex. Nat. on banks 
of Cooper River ; vicinity of Charleston, Bach. Fl. May. 



614 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. Supplem. 1846, p. 73. A 
preparation in the shape of a syrup was much in vogue as a 
powerful sedative in palpitation of the heart, used by Broussais. 
Journal de Pharm. xix, 667. Its diuretic property is well 
known. Eevue Med. 1838, p. 409. See M. Lodiberts on its 
culture, and an account of the alcoholic fermentation from the 
branches, in the Journal de Med. Militaire. Mannite is said to 
exist in the celery, melon and asparagus. 

Asparagus for Coffee. — Liebig states that asparagus contains, 
in common with tea and coffee, a principle which he calls tau- 
rine, and which he considers essential to the health of those 
who do not take strong exercise. By this a writer in the 
London Gardener's Chronicle was led to test asparagus as a 
substitute for Coffee. He says : " The young shoots were not 
agreeable, having an alkaline taste. I then tried ripe seeds, 
and they, roasted and ground, make a full flavored coffee, not 
easily distinguished from fine Mocha. The seeds are easily 
freed from the berries by drying them in a cool (warm, I sup- 
pose he means) oven, and then rubbing them on a sieve. There 
is in Berlin, Prussia, a large establishment for the manufacture 
of coffee from acorns and chiccory, the articles being made 
separately. The chiccory is mixed with an equal weight of 
turnips to render it sweeter. The acorn coffee, which is made 
from roasted and ground acorns, is sold in large quantities, and 
frequently with I'ather a medicinal than an economical view, as 
it is thought to have a wholesome effect upon the blood. Acorn 
coffee is, however, made and used in many parts of Germany 
for the sole purpose of adulterating genuine coffee." Annual of 
Scientific Discovery. See " Okra." 

COMMELINACB^. ( The Spiderwort Tribe.) 

Commelina communis, Pursh. Grows in pine barrens; col- 
lected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston; Newbern. Fl. 
July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 272. In Cochin China it 
is said to be employed as a refrigerant and relaxant ; pre- 
scribed in constipation and strangury. The flower is of a 
beautiful blue, and Kaempher says that a color like ultramarine 
might be obtained from it. 



615 
ALISMACE^. {The Water Plantain Tribe.) 

All are aquatic plants, and many contain a fleshy rhizome 
which is eatable. 

AE.EOW-HEAD, {Sagittaria sagittifolia, Mich. Sagittaria 
latifolia, W.) Grows in rice fields ; collected on Cooper River ; 
I have specimens from Sumter District ; vicinity of Charleston ; 
Newbern. Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 153 ; Journal Comp. des 
Sc. Med. xix, 143. The leaves are acrid, and it is proposed to 
employ them in dispersing scrofulous ulcers. Dem. Elem. de 
Bot. ii, 416. The Chinese are said to cultivate it on account of 
the bulbous roots, which are eaten. It was employed as food 
by the Indians. Wade's PI. Rariores, 80. It is said that the 
leaves, applied to the breasts of nursing women, will tend to 
dispel the milk. Griffith's Med. Bot. 619. The fecula is like 
arrowroot, {Maranta arund.,') and has been used for similar 
purposes. 

The root of this plant is often of gi'eat length. No doubt it 
contains starch. Our Canna, (C. flacida,) growing in Fla. and 
S. C, very pi-obably yields starch, for the arrowroot, " tons les 
mois." from 0. coccinea, makes a stiffer jelly than that from the 
Maranta or Florida arrowroot. 

WATER PLANTAIN, {Alisma plantago, L. A. trivialis and 
parviflora of Pursh.) Ditches and ponds ; Georgia and north- 
ward. 

It is used by the vegetable practitioners as a demulcent 
astringent in affections of the bowels, and by the " Cherokee 
doctors " as an external application to " sores, wounds, bruises, 
swellings," etc., being employed as a poultice and wash. The 
juice will vesicate the skin. The roots cooked may be used as 
food. When fresh they have an odor like that of Florentine 
orris, but lose it when dried. The root in the dose of eight or 
ten grains, largely increased, have recently been used in chorea 
and epilepsy with asserted advantage. See U. S. Disp., 12th 
Ed. 

HYDROCHARIDACE^. (Frogs-bit Tribe.) 

TAPE GRASS, {Valisneria spiralis, Mieheli.) Ponds and 
stagnant water. Fla. and northward. 



The fertilization of this aquatic species, as well as that of 
Anacharis Canadensis, found at Cherokee, N. C, is very remarka- 
ble. The sterile flowers break away from the stem, and, ex- 
panding at the surface of the water, go as it were in quest of 
the female florets by which their stigmas are impregnated. 

JUNCEyE. {The Rush Tribe.) 

SOFT EUSH; BULKQSH, {Juncus communis, Mey, in K'th's 
En. PI. Juncus effusus, Linn, and Ell. Sk.) Grows in bogs and 
morasses; Newbern. Fl, May. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. 531. Cultivated in Japan for making floor 
mats, chair bottoms, etc. It is sometimes employed at the 
South for similar purposes. The pith, when dried and oiled, 
will serve as a wick. A decoction of the plant is said to be 
diuretic. 

SMILACE^]. (The JSmilax Tribe.) 

CHINA-BEIAR. (Smilax psevdo-Ghina, L.) GroAvs in swamps, 
along streams ; collected in St. John's ; Newbern. Fl. May. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Notes, ii, 700; U. S. Disp. 634 ; Pe. Mat. Med. 
and Therap. 133; De Cand. Prodrom. i, 351; Frost's Elems. 
Mat. Med. 228. The decoction is alterative ; in large doses, 
emetic. It is much used in portions of the Southern States in 
the composition of diet drinks, and it is considered one of the 
best substitutes for Sarsaparilla. Griffith Med. Bot. 660, states 
that the Indians employed the fecula of this, as well as that of 
the S^ eaduca, laurifolia and tamnoides, all of which are indige- 
nous. 

The roots of this plant contain a good deal of Starch. They 
are, consequently, to a certain extent light and porous, and are 
used to make pipes with, also by our soldiers in camp in the 
manufacture of an extemporaneously prepared beer. The root 
is mixed with molasses and water in an open tub, a few seeds 
of parched corn or rice are added, and after a slight fermenta- 
tation it is seasoned with sassafras. The young shoots of the 
China-briar are eaten as asparagus, with which they are closely 
allied. They impart the same odor to the urine, and probably 
contain asparagine. [ 



617 

Lawson, in his " Travels in Carolina." says : "The root is a 
round ball, which the Indians boil and eat." Croom states in 
the notes to his "Catalogue," p. 48, that these roots become in 
time of scarcity an important article of food to the Southern 
Indians. The Seminoles, of Florida, obtain from them by 
maceration in water, their red meal, and from the roots of 
Zamia integrifolia their white meal, "which have subsisted 
them in part during their late campaign." 

Mr. W. G. Simms informs me that a rich brown dye is 
made from the roots with copperas. 

The seeds of the berries are exceedingly hard, and are used 
as beads. I have seen a necklace made with them resembling 
coral, which may well be called "Indian coral." 

WILD SAESAPARILLA, (Smilax sarsaparilla. L. Smilax 
glauca, Walt.) Eich soils; Abbeville District ; Fla. Fl. July. 

IT. S. Disp. 634; Woodv. Med. Bot. 161. This does not ap- 
pear to be the officinal Sarsaparilla, though it probably shares 
the alterative virtues belonging to the genus. Thornton's Fam. 
Herbal. 241 ; Journal de Pharm. xvi, 38 ; Frost's Elems. Mat. 
Med. 223. It is supposed to be possessed of undoubted efficacy, 
given in diet drinks and alterative mixtures combined with the 
China-briar, and used in syphilis and chronic rheumatism. Mer. 
and de L. Diet, de M. Med. iii, 79 ; Humboldt's Voyage, viii, 
378; Analysis in Journal de Chim. Med, i, 215. A principle has 
been derived from it, called smilacine. Journal de Pharm. xvi, 
501, and xviii, 324. From Bartley's examination in the Edin. 
Med. Journal, xvi, 473, the virtues appear to reside in the cor- 
tical part; hence, it is best extracted by the cold infusion. 
Biblioth. Med. xxvi, 119. According to these writers it is con- 
sidered a powerful sudorific and alterative, indicated when you 
wish to produce diaphoresis, as in rheumatism of the joints; 
and this agrees with the experience of those who have tried it 
in the Southern States. J. Pope, Recherches upon the different 
species of Sarsaparilla Gen, de Med. xci, 300, and Thumberg's 
Mem. on the quantity of extractive matter furnished by the 
species. The S. glauca of Walt, is the S. caduca of Willd. 
::7 Smilax caduca, L. Around ponds and in rich shaded soils ; 
collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. 
June. The >S'. caduca of Ell. is the S. Walteri of Pursh. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 375. Some have asserted 



618 

that it faruishes caoutchouc. See Hist. Xat. Pharm. ii, 590. 
The root atfords a fecula. 

Smilax ovata, Ph. and Ell. Sk. Grows on the seashore, Ell.; 
vicinity of Charleston. Fl. June. 

Ell. Bot. Med. Xotes. ii.69S. Remarkable for the fragrance of 
its flowers. 

Smilax tamnoides, L. Grows in dry soils in rich woods; col- 
lected in St. John's; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. June. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 384. The root of this 
also, says Merat. is employed in the form of decoction to purify 
the blood. It atfords a fecula. 

Coprosmanthus herbaceus. Ivunth. Smilax herbacea, L. Grows 
in rich wooded soils ; collected in St. John's; vicinity of Charles- 
ton. Fl. June. 

This species has been used for its alterative properties. 

The father of the writer, an ardent cultivator of Botany, had 
invited his attention years since to a plant called the "Carrion 
plant." It escaped all inquiries till very recently, when a close 
examination of the C. herbacea again revealed to him the re- 
markable fetor which it exhales, and which closely resembles 
the smell of decaj'ed flesh. A recent examination of Darling- 
ton's Flora Cestrica has established the correctness of his sus- 
picions, for he speaks of the <S. herbacea as the " Carrion plant." 
The plant is a very pretty one, and Prof. ToiTey in forming a 
new genus has given it a very appropriate name. The C. pe- 
duncularis, K., growing in the upper districts, also possesses 
fetid flowers. The attention of the curious is invited to these 
plants. 

DIOSCOREACE.E. (The Yam Tribe.) 

"WILD YAM, {Dioscorea viUosa, L.) Grows in damp soils ; 
collected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. July. 

Griffith's Med. Bot. 659. The decoction of the root, according 
to Eiddell, in a late paper, Synops. Flo. West. St. 93, is emi- 
nently beneficial in bilious colic ; one ounce is added to one pint 
of water, and half of this is taken at a dose. He says it acts 
with great promptitude, and that Dr. Neville places much reli- 
ance on the tincture as an expectorant; it is likewise diapho- 
retic, and in large doses emetic. Attention is invited to its 
employment. 



619 

Prof. Wood, in the recently published edition of the U. S. 
Disp., states that the "Eclectics" use a principle called dioscorein 
in doses of one to four grains, which " is only the tincture pre- 
cipitated." 

See illustrated papers in Patent Office Eeports, p. 169, 1854, 
and p. 250, 1856, on the Chinese yam (Dioscorea batatas) which 
bears a large tuber, like the potato, and yields starch, sugar, 
etc. The roots do not require to be stored in cellars, though 
this may be done ; they are dug in the fall. I have seen it 
growing at Col. J. B. Moore's, near Stateburg, S. C. The root 
is said to be " voluminous, rich in nutritive matter, and can be 
cooked in every respect like the common potato, and even bo 
eaten in the raw state." The yam cultivated at the South is 
Dioscoi'm sativa; another species raised here, D. alata, weighs 
sometimes thirty pounds. 

AEACE^. (The Arum Tribe.) 

An acrid principle generally pervades this tribe, existing in 
some of them to a high degree. 

WAKE EOBIN; INDIAN TUENIP; DEAGON-EOOT, 
(Ariscema triphylhon, Torr. Ariscema atroreubens, Blum, in K'th's 
En. PI. Arum triphyllum, L. Ell. Sk.) Grows in rich soils; 
collected in St. John's ; vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. Fl. 
June. 

Eberle, Mat. Med. ii, 437; Chap. Therap. and Mat. Med. ii, 
41; U. S. Disp. 123; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 78; Big. Am. 
Med. Bot. i, 52 ; Am. Journal Pharm. xv, 83 ; Thacher's U. S. 
Disp., art. A. triphyllum, 153; Cullen, Mat. Med. ii, 211 and 
554 ; Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 460 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 
121 ; Schoepf, Mat. Med. 133 ; Eush, ii, 301 ; Barton's Collec. 29 ; 
Shec. Flora Carol. 273; McCall, in Phil. Med. Journal, ii, 84 ; 
Cutler, Am. Acad, i, 487; Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 364; Matson's 
Veg. Pract. 295, and Thompson's Steam. Pract. It is said 
to be similar in its action to the A. maculatum. Dr. Meara af- 
fii-ms that it does not act on the general circulatory, but only on 
the glandular system, which it stimulates greatly, and the se- 
cretions of which it augments. Dr. Wood says it stimulates 
the secretions of the skin and lungs also. It is used advanta- 
geously in diseases of the mucous membranes, particularly in 
hooping cough and asthma. "In the chronic asthmatic affec- 



620 

tions of old people it is a remedy of very considerable value." 
The powder of the fresh root, made into a paste with honey or 
syrup, and placed in small quantities upon the tongue so as to 
be gradually diffused over the mouth and throat, is said to have 
proved useful in the aphthous sore throat of children. Dr. 
Thacher emploj^ed it in this affection, and adds that it is of ap- 
proved eflScacy in rheumatism. " Milk in which the acrid prin- 
ciple of the A. triphyl. has been boiled has been known to cure 
consumption !" De Cand. cit. in Lind. The sliced root has been 
used as an application for poisoning by the ivy, (Mhus.') Lindley 
remarks of some of this class that "the spadixes disengage a 
sensible quantity of heat when they are about to open." An 
ointment, made b}' stewing the fresh root in lard, is applied in 
scald-head, in ring-worm, and other eruptions and cutaneous 
diseases, acting as a stimulant. The root is a decided expecto- 
rant. Agardh considers that the acrid principle, which, not- 
withstanding its fugacity, has lately been obtained pure, is of 
great power as a stimulant. In corroboration, I would mention 
mj^ having produced vesication merely by rubbing the stem of 
the Arum Walteri (^a South Carolina species) in contact with 
the unbroken skin; and I observe that both species are very 
irritating to the fauces. By chemical analysis (Am, Journal 
Pharm. xv, 8.^) it contains, besides the acrid principle, from ten 
to seventeen per cent, of starch, which may be obtained from 
it as white and as delicate as from the potato ; also albumen, 
gum, sugar, extractive, lignin, and salts of potassa and lime. 
Bigelow states (i, 59) that the starch is prepared by pouring re- 
peatedly portions of water over the fresh root reduced to a pulp 
by grating, and placed on a strainer, the farinaceous part being 
carried through, and leaving the fibrous behind. Dr. McCall, 
of Georgia, found it to yield one-fourth part its weight of pure 
amylaceous matter, which is white, delicate and nutritive. See, 
also, the experiments of Bigelow to extract the acrimonious 
principle of the fresh root. The root may be preserved if kept 
buried in the sand. Dose of recently dried root, ten grains 
mixed with gum-arabic, sugar and water, in the form of emul- 
sion, repeated and increased. 

During scarcity of food almost any substance that contains 
starch, even though it be associated with bitter or noxious 
principles, may furnish material for bread. " From the acorn 



621 

a kind of meal is produced which makes excellent bread, pro- 
vided that a little barley meal be mingled with it to counteraft 
its astringent qualities. M. Parmentier extracted the farina or 
starch of the bryony, the iris, gladiolus, ranunculus, fumaria, 
arum, dracunculus, mandragora, colehicum, filipendula and helle- 
bores, etc. It is only necessary to cleanse these roots, to scrape 
and pound them, and then to soak the pulp in a considerable 
quantity of water ; a white sediment is deposited, which when 
washed and dried is a real starch. M. Parmentier converted 
these different starches into bread by mingling them with an 
equal portion of potatoes reduced into the pulp, and the ordi- 
nary dose of wheaten leaven ; the bread had no bad taste, and 
its quality was excellent." Wilson's Rural Cyc. We have in 
the Southern States several species of the genera mentioned 
above. See index to this volume; also, '•'■ Zizania" or Canada 
rice. A knowledge of these plants may prove serviceable in 
case of an emergency. 

Peltandra Virginica, Eaf. (Kunth, En. PI.) Arum Virginicum, 
L. Common in swamps; collected in St. John's; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. May. 

Stearns' Am. Herbal. 133. Property probably similar to 
those of the above. " Powerfully stimulant, diuretic and 
diaphoretic. Stimulates the solids, promotes the secretion of 
perspiration, urine, etc.; good in languid, phlegmonous habits, 
in relaxation and weakness of the stomach, loss of appetite, in 
jaundice, hysterical and hypochondriacal complaints, rheuma- 
tism, pains and obstinate headaches unattended with fever." 
Dose, ten grains, with sixty grains of gum-arabic, twenty of 
spermaceti, and eight of sugar. The corm is esculent when 
cooked. 

Arum maculatum. I find that this species is not a native of 
the Southern States ; but the indigenous A. triphyllum is said to 
possess precisely the same properties ; so I will allow it to re- 
main. 

Bull. Plantes Ven. de France 83. "The leaves, being eaten 
by three children, produced horrible convulsions," swelling of 
the tongue, etc. One author mentions that he uses the root 
with great success in rheumatic pains, in doses of six to twenty 
grains of the fresh root, three limes a day. The emulsion is 
more sedative. The dry root is quite nutritious, serving as an 



622 

article of food. Oatalogus Plantarum, 28. The decoction of 
the root with hone}" is a powerful expectorant, and is useful in 
asthma. {Expectorat enim validissime crassas lentasque excrea- 
tiones.) The Oatalogus Plantarum of Ray, furthermore, ex- 
presses this high opinion : "Remedium est prcestantissimum et 
minime fallax adversus venenum et pestejn, asthmaticos maxime 
juvat, hernias curat et urinam ciet." See, also, the Historia Plan- 
tarium Eaii, p. 1208. The root, dried and powdered, has been 
sold as a cosmetic, under the name of cypress powder; said, 
also, to possess a soporific quality, and to be used in washing 
linen. Linn. Veg. Mat. Med. 168 ; Woodv. Med. Bot. 75. The 
recent root, according to Orfila, will cause the death of a dog 
in thirty-six hours. Toxicol. 298 ; Ancien. Journal de Med. 
xxxiv, 529. See Diet, des Drogues, i, 355, for chemical analysis. 
Portland sago is made from the root. Encycl. Plants, 800. The 
bad elfects resulting from the use of the Arum are alleviated by 
the administration of buttermilk and oily liquors. Shecut, in 
his Flora Carol., speaks of its great reputation as an effectual 
remedy in cachectic cases, in weakness of stomach, and fixed 
rheumatic pains. The fresh root, externally applied, is a good 
substitute for Spanish flies. Dr. Lewis, in the Fam. Herbal. 
751, asserts that neither water nor spirit extracts its virtues, the 
fresh root being best administered in substance in the form of a 
bolus or emulsion, or by beating it up with resin or gum, and 
keeping in pill. Geoffroi alludes to it as a valuable stomachic 
for restoring lost appetite ; useful in chlorosis, jaundice and 
hysterical affections. He says that by boiling the root in 
vinegar it becomes powerfully diuretic. Bergius reports the 
root as of great service, mixed with an alkaline aromatic, in 
cases of obstinate periodical headache, when the pulse is slower 
than natural without fever. Journal de Pharm. xii, 158. Merat, 
in the Diet, de Mat. Med., endorses the opinions generally ex- 
pressed above. U. S. Disp. 123 ; Big. Am. Med. Bot. i, 52. Sir 
J. E. Smith, in his Introd. to Botany, says that it is asserted by 

that at the period of inflorescence, between 4 and 10 

o'clock, P. M., the flower is actually "hot," causing the ther- 
mometer to rise several degrees. 

SKUNK CABBAGE; POLE CAT WEED, (Symplocarpus 
fa^idus, Dracontium fcetidum.) Pothos of Mx. 

A fetid plant, the root and seed supposed to possess some 



623 

anti-spasmodic and narcotic power. It has been employed by 
Bigelow and Heintzelman and others in hooping cough, 
catarrhs, phthisis, hysteria and dropsy. The Rev. Dr. Culter 
introduced it into notice, and employed it in asthma. N. J. 
Med. Eep. 410; U. S. Disp. The root, chewed, produces a 
prickling sensation in the mouth. The leaves are used to dress 
blisters to keep up a discharge. The roots occasion vomiting 
and dimness of sight. Bigelow; GriflBth. Dose of powdered root, 
ten to twenty grains, repeated. The seeds contain 20 per cent. 
of fixed oil, which is acrid. Am. Jour. Pharm. ii, 1. A sti'ong 
infusion of the plant is also used. 

GOLDEN-CLUB, {Orontium aquaticnm, Mx.) Roots often 
immersed; common in lower country ; collected in St. John's. 
Fl. May. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. 365. " The root is acrid, but becomes eata- 
ble by roasting"." Both the seeds and roots were eaten by the 
Indians. The stem just beneath the infloresence is of the most 
beautiful white ; a section of it I have observed to be admirably 
suited for microscopical inspection. 

TYPHACEiE. iThe Bulrush Tribe.) 

CAT-TAIL; REED MACE, (Typha latifolia, L.) Morasses 
and stagnant waters, often immersed; collected in St. John's; 
vicinity of Charleston ; Newbern. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. t. vi, 795 ; Journal de Chim. 
Med. iv, 179 ; Journal de Pharm. xii, 564. This plant receives 
an extended notice in European works. The root is eaten as a 
salad. See, also, Lightfoot's Fl. Scotica, ii, 339. A jelly also is 
extracted from it. Aublet assures us it is good in gonorrhoea 
and chronic dysentery. See an analysis in Journal de Pharm. 
xii, 564, and xiv, 221. Little crystals of phosphate of lime are 
found in the stems. It is said also to be abundant in fecula. 
Decouv. des Russes. iii, 450; Gmelin, Flora Siberiea, i, 25-139. 
See Vignal's Essay on the treatment of wounds with the pollen 
or aigrettes of the Typha, which it is proposed to use a substi- 
tute for cotton, (in French.) Paris, 1803. The bark has been 
employed in the fabrication of hats, and with cotton in making 
gloves; and some have recommended it in making China paper. 
See the Diet, de M. Med. "Paper made from the swamp flag, 



624 

called cat-tails, was manufactured in 1863 upon an extensive 
scale in New York. This product appears to be well adapted 
for card boards and paper-hangings." The down has been used 
to stuff mattresses. Linnseus informs us that the coopers in 
Sweden employ the stalks to bind their casks with. In Eng- 
land they use the Scirpus lacustris, and in Italy the Carex acuta, 
(all Southern species, which see,) to fasten the timber in the 
joints. The stalks are opened longitudinally, and placed be- 
tween the interstices, so as effectually to prevent the escape of 
fluids. Those who manufacture turpentine and rice barrels 
might find these plants of much service in this respect — serving 
the purpose much better than the strips of wood shaving gen- 
erally employed to render the seams tighter. I would invite 
further attention to the Typha for the several purposes 
alluded to. 

"ESPAKTO" GEASS. 

This Grass, which is being grown in Spain, Portugal and the 
French Algerian Colonies, is attracting great attention as a ma- 
terial for making paper. It requires a warm, dry climate, and 
it is proposed to raise it at the South where it seems that every 
element is favorable to the success of the enterprise. It is quite 
as easily cultivated as rice or hay, and it yields much larger re- 
turns — as it readily brings in market seventy dollars of our cur- 
rency per ton. 

I insert the following communication from a gentleman in 
Charleston who is thoroughly acquainted with the wants of the 
paper manufacturer, and with everything which relates to print- 
ing and book-making : 

" A Neio Crop for our Rice Fields. — The Esparto grass of which 
we speak is already the successful rival of rags, as a material for 
the manufacture of paper. The production of the grass has in- 
creased with great rapidity, and it is now consumed to the value 
of about one million of dollars monthly on the continent and in 
Great Britain. New mills are being erected and fitted with 
machinery exclusively adapted to its use, while old mills are 
changing their machinery for the same purpose. There is no 
doubt that its general adoption is but a question of time. 

" In the United States the Esparto grass is as yet unknown ; 
but the high price of rags and the failure of almost all 



625 

materials — except, perhaps, maple wood — used in their stead 
for the manufacture of paper, which has now become one of the 
leading commercial interests of the world, will soon induce our 
Northern paper manufacturers to try this new material. 

" The writer has not only seen the Esparto taken from the 
bale and put through all the processes of manufacture into fine 
printing and writing papers, but he has also seen the grass 
growing, and is confident that our climate and soil will produce 
it at least as well as the countries in which it is now cultivated. 

" The Esparto grass yields to the paper-maker nearly as much 
pulp as average rags yield. It is no more difficult than rags to 
work up, and in many respects, although not in all, it is to be 
preferred to them. 

" Thus, after two hundred years of experiment and the trial of 
a thousand different substances, just when the civilized world 
feels its necessity the most, a perfect substitute for rags has been 
found, and will be used wherever a book is read and the art of 
writing known. 

"We have now some samples of the Esparto seed and of pulp 
made from it." 

The okra stalk has also been attracting attention as a material 
for paper. An Alabama Manufacturing Company has for some 
time been engaged in experimenting in its use, and with emi- 
nently srtisfactory results, (1869.) It is claimed that the okra 
can be bleached to any degree of whiteness; that the cost of 
reducing it to "half stuff" and pulp, will not, on a considerable 
scale, be greater than the cost of converting rags into pulp, 
and that the okra paper is as soft as rag paper, and almost as 
much so as that made from pure linen — thus combining in one 
material a great desideratum in paper-making — flexibility and 
strength. The okra may also be used as " hard stock," to give 
strength to any other material. The seed may also be made use 
of. A large dealer in paper informs me that he considers it 
probably one of the best materials at our disposal for the pur- 
poses proposed. 

BUKR-EEED, (^Sparganium ramosum, Huds. S. Americanum, 
Ell.) Lagoons and ditches ; Florida and northward. 

The herbage of the branchy species of Burr-reed {Sparganiurri) 
is softer and more pliant than that of the reedy plants, and 
serves well in combination with some of them in packing. I 
40 



626 

have been surprised that more use is not made of such plants by 
merchants and packers. The unripe burrs are very astringent • 
a strong decoction is employed for various purposes as an 
astringent. See Darlington's Flora Cestrica. 

ACORACiE. 

SWEET-FLAG ; CALAMUS, (Acorus calamus, L.) Diffused 
in bogs and morasses; I have collected it in Fairfield and in 
Charleston Districts; vicinity of Charleston; Newbern. 

Le. Mat. Med. i, 251 ; Pe. Mat. Med. and Therap. ii, 76 ; 
Koyle, Mat. Med. 602; Hoffmann's Obs. Phys. Chim. i, obs. i; 
Ell. Bot. Notes, i, 403 ; U. S. Disp. 145 ; Ed. and Yav. Mat. 
Med. 281 ; Ball, and Gar. Mat. Med. 431 ; Bergii, Mat. Med. 287 ; 
Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 63; Woodv. Med. Bot.; Ann. 
de Chim. Ixxxi, 332 ; Coxe, Am. Disp. 18 ; Shec. Flora Carol. 96 . 
This is a very pleasant, aromatic stimulant and stomachic ; 
esteemed as a stimulating tonic in atonic conditions of the 
stomach and bowels ; in the East as a powerful aphrodisiac and 
carminative. Ed. and Vav. state that it has been administered 
successfully in intermittent fever: "On I'a beaucoup vante pour 
combattre les symptomes cerebraux qui accompagnent la sc- 
conde periode des tievres dites ataxiques." Heberden, in his 
" Commentaries," page 149, sa^'s that when bark fails in the cure 
of intermittent fever, he gives a scruple of chamomile flowers 
powdered. " I have also given," he adds "two scruples of cala- 
mus aromaticus in some extraordinary cases, and have found it 
more efficacious than a variety of other means." Dr. Thomp- 
son says, from his own experience, he finds it one of the most 
useful adjuvants to bark and quinine ; given also, combined 
with magnesia, in the flatulent colics of infants. In the Sup- 
plem, to Mer. and de L. 1846, 10, Dr. Endelicher assures us that 
the root is an excellent remedy in chronic gout : " qu'elle apaise 
les douleurs, qu'elle assouplit les articulations" — administered 
in powder, from eighteen to twenty grains every two hours. 
Annal. de Med. and note, sur quelques plantes de I'Aube, Mem. 
de I'Aube, 1841. The fresh root, candied, is said to have been 
employed in large quantities as a preservative in epidemic 
diseases. Thornton's Fam. Herb. 354. The root is used in 
vertigo. Linn. Veg. M. Med. 64; Griffith Med. Bot. 620. See 
Anal, by Trommsdorf ; Ann. Clinique, xvii. From which it ap- 



627 

pears to contain volatile oil, resin, extractive, etc. Thompson, 
in his M. Med., says that the oil differs from other volatile oils 
in not dissolving iodine. 

The root of this powerful aromatic plant is much used as a 
flavoring substance throughout the Western States for making 
bitters, particularly the compound tincture of gentian. See 
treatises on the Mat. Med. " It is a principal medicament in 
the preparation of the medicated malt liquors called herb ales, 
and is supposed to be the ingredient used by the French for 
giving flavor to their snuff called a la violette. The whole plant 
has been used for tanning leather, and in Poland it is strewed 
on the floors of the upper and middle classes of society when 
they are about to receive company, in order that the leaves may 
be br«ised by the feet of the guests, and rill the rooms with an 
agreeable odor." Rural Cyclopoedia, p. 40. The dose of the 
root is from ten to twenty grains. An infusion of the root is 
made with one ounce to one pint of boiling water; dose, a 
wineglassful. 

NAEADACE.E. (The Pond-weed Tribe.) 

ALOA ; EEL-GEASS, (Zostera marina, L.) West Florida and 
northward ; deep salt water coves. Chapman. Not in any 
catalogue of the plants in St. John's, S. C. 

This marine herb or sea-grass, with creeping stems, is just 
attracting great attention in England (1862) as a substitute for 
cotton. The result is doubtful, as the amount to be obtained is 
perhaps inadequate. The papers are filled with accounts of the 
plant. It is not a sea-weed though it "grows at the bottom of 
the sea;" it produces a large quantity of fibre in proportion to 
its bulk, which is strong, elastic and silky — ^used by upholsterers 
as a material for bed stufiing, and also successfully applied in 
the manufacture of paper. See "Asclepias" and "Ramie." 

Substitutes for Cotton. — The London Index says: 

Some new "substitute for cotton," which is to cost nothing, 
to make the fortune of the inventor, and to reopen the mills of 
Lancashire, is discovered every week. The inventors are mostly 
persons who know nothing of cotton spinning, and they forget, 
invariably, that a material which costs nothing when supposed 
to be useless and gathered by handsful might become almost as 



628 

dear as silk if there were a manufacturing demand for hundreds 
of millions of pounds weight of it. The following remarks by 
a " Medallist in Botany," deserve notice : 

" I have obtained samples of most of the fibres proposed, and 
1 have submitted them to careful examination under the micros- 
cope. I find them all to be varieties of woody fibre, more or 
less split up or divided, varying in the length and thickness of 
the fibrillse. The fibres of all the specimens I have seen are, 
nevertheless, uniform in the following particulars: they are 
all solid and inelastic or brittle, with joints and rough edges, 
showing where the bundles of fibrillse have been torn apart. 
Having some practical acquaintance with cotton spinning and 
weaving, I assert that the above qualities render woody fibre 
unfitted to be used as a substitute for cotton without a considera- 
ble modification of our machinery. The fibres which have been 
exhibited may probably be useful as substitutes for linen, if they 
can be largely produced at a cheap rate ; but the woody fibre 
(from which all the proposed substitutes, I feel confident, are 
drawn) can never be a perfect substitute for cotton, which con- 
sists of vegetable hairs, hollow, elastic, ribbon shaped and spiral, 
with smooth edges and surfaces. If we want a substitute for 
cotton we must not look for it in woody fibre." 

PISTIACEiE. {The Dutchweed Tribe.) 

WATER FLAXSEED, {Spirodelia polyrrhiza, Schleid. in 
Kunth's En. PI. Lemna polyrrhiza, W. and Ell. Sk.) Santee 
Canal. Fl. July. 

Lightfoot's Fl. Scotica, ii, 538. The "leaves sink to the bot- 
tom of the water in winter and rise in the spring." The Lemna 
or duckweed destroy fish by covering so closely the surface of 
ponds as to exclude the air. 

GRAMINACE^E. (The Grass Tribe.-) 

Well known for their great value for many purposes. 

MAIZE ; INDIAN CORN, (Zea Mays.) 
The methods of cultivating this staple article of food are so 
widely known that I feel absolved from the necessity of enter- 



629 

ing very fully upon their relation in this place, but will insert 
the following plan pursued by David Dickson, the well known 
agriculturist of Hancock Co. Ga., (see his letters in So. Culti- 
vator, Jan., 1869.) It is certainly marked by great common 
sense: 

First, drain the wet land, then deepen your soil; charge it 
well with vegetable matter, either by rest or sowing oats and 
feeding off in the field, sowing and turning under pea vines, 
(Cow pea,) or clover and other grasses, where they will suc- 
ceed, etc. Then plow deep and sub-soil to the extent of your 
ability. Gather all the manure possible from previous crops, 
cotton seed, manure from stock, leaves, pine straw and mud 
and other scrapings ; then add each year to each crop, corn, 
oats^cotton, wheat, etc., such soluble ammonia and bone, earth, 
etc., as Peruvian Guano and Dissolved Bones, Land Plaster, 
Salt and "Wood Ashes, (see his Formula under "Cotton" in this 
volume,) may have in them — the latter, if to be used in any 
form, at a price that would warrant its use. 

Plant corn eight inches below a level, put the manure within 
three or four inches of the seed, and cover about one and a half 
inches deep. Cultivate shallow — first, plowing one and a half 
inches deep ; second, one-third ; and third, in half inch. I 
prefer a heavy, sharp sweep, twenty -two to twenty-six inches 
wide, either for corn or cotton. If you carry out this plan 
well as to time it will never fail. * * jf you wish a cotton 
plant or a corn-stalk to stand a hot burning sun, and a dry 
northwest wind from four to ten weeks and come out safely, you 
must water and put in sufiicient soluble food to last. How is 
that to be done ? By deepening the soil, plowing deep, sub- 
soiling and filling it with humus, that it may retain the greatest 
amount of water. * * I do not care what color the land is, 
or whether sand or clay, if you keep up a full supply of vegeta- 
ble mold, break deep before planting and cultivate lightly after- 
wards, [by this means the roots of the corn are not cut,] the 
result will be good, wet or dry. 

In Mr. Dickson's letter, dated Sparta, January 6th, 1868, he 
says : 

Have good turning plows, and according to your ability, use 
one or two horses, and sub-soil ; ride over the field, and lay oflT 
the land so that the horses will go round on a level, and the 



630 

dirt will fall down Mil — a team will break up the soil nine inches 
deep in this way, as easily as they could seven inches, on a level 
piece of land. Continue to take the lands in the same way until 
the field is finished, one team following another — all the time 
going round the circle ; and if you sub-soil, have one team be- 
tween each turning plow, running in the bottom of the furrow. 
When you finish, the field is ready for planting, if the proper 
time has arrived. In deciding this point, you must be governed 
by the weather — it varies from the tenth of March to the first 
of April. According to my experience, a man only gains hard 
work and more of it, by very early planting. 

Now for the planting. Lay off furrows with a long shovel 
plow, on a level, seven feet apart. Commence at the opposite 
end, with a longer shovel, and open out the same furrow. The 
reason for this is, you get up to trees and stumps, and make a 
better finish at the ends. This farrow should stand open seven 
or eight inches deep. Whether you use compost, cotton seed or 
guanos, let each hand have his three foot measure, and deposit 
the manure in the bottom of the furrow, just three feet apart. 
Then drop the corn within three or four inches of the manure 
one or more grains, as is your custom — dropping on the near 
side of the manure, as the dropper goes ; then, with a very light 
harrow, cover the corn one or one and a half inches deep. The 
harrow should go the same way the dropper goes, to keep from 
pulling the manure on the grain. 

If you cover deep, you lose all the advantages of low 
planting, (but not the deep breaking,) and for this reason : corn, 
in good weather, will come up from a depth of one to six inches, 
but will strike out roots about one inch from the surface of the 
ground, and all below that will perish. That is one reason why 
I am opposed to dirting corn as soon as it comes up — it brings 
the root of the stalk to the top of the ground. 

My plan is to finish the first working from the 20th of April 
to the 10th of May. Sometimes I have not finished before the 
25th of May. With the land well turned, very little grass 
and weeds will come up, except in the bottom of the furrow, and 
this is easily managed. 

For first plowing, have a heavy twenty-two inch sweep, with 
the right wing so set, that its back end will not be more than 
one inch above the ground. This is to ran near the corn, and 



631 

should fill the furrow within one or one and a half inches of the 
general surface. Break out the middles with the same sized 
sweep, with the back of both wings turned up ; if the plowing 
is well done, four furrows will finish out — four hands com- 
pleting foui'teen acres every day, by going sixteen miles a day. 

Second plowing — have the wing of the siding sweep turned a 
little more than half up; run close to the corn, leaving nothing 
for the hoe; for if the plowing is well done, there is no use of a 
hoe. Break out the middles with three furrows, to make a good 
place to plant peas. From the first of June to the 20th is a 
good time to plant peas. Proceed in this manner. Afier the 
second plowing, run a shovel furrow in the middle of a corn 
row; drop one bushel of peas to every eight acres — say six to 
eight«peas to a hill. You can plant sixteen acres per day, and 
will use two bushels to each plow — cover with a harrow. 

Third and last plowing — pair your hands, one to side the corn 
and one to side the peas ; the hand that sides the corn will need 
a twenty-two inch sweep, right-hand wing well up, and it 
should run close to the corn — not going more than a half inch 
deep ; the left wing should be nearly flat. The hand that sides 
the peas, will need a heavy twenty-six inch sweep, with the 
right wing set at medium height, and should run it near the 
peas, and fill the pea furrow entirely up ; the left wing should 
be up, to push the dirt near the corn. This is the last plowing, 
and if well done, the ground will be as smooth and level as a 
floor, with not a spear of grass to the two hundred acres, nor a 
weed to be seen in the field. In old times, I required every 
hand to clean the crop as he went — what the plow left, to be re- 
moved with the foot and hand. From thirteen to sixteen miles, 
according to the condition of the crop, was a day's work. 

Such pine land as mine, (some of it very poor,) should average 
twenty to twenty-five bushels per acre ; and wet or dry, if the 
work is rightly done, there is no such thing as a failure, as my 
many visitors, from all parts of the country, will testify. 

The Ergot of Maize, according to M. Eoulin, is very common 
in Columbia, and the use of it is attended with a shedding of 
the hair, and even the teeth of both man and beasts. Mules 
fed on it lose their hoofs, and fowls lay eggs without shells. Its 
action on the uterus is as powerful as that of the Rye ergot, 
or perhaps more so. Ann. des Sc. 19, 279. Lindley. Prof. 



632 

Wood, U. S. Disp., 12th Ed., states that Mr. C. H. Cresler had 
examined the growth on Indian corn known as Smut, and it 
was found to contain the alkaloid discovered by Winckler in 
ergot and named by him seculin, now considered as a mere 
synonyme of propylamia. Besides the alkaloid, there were ob- 
tained a thick, viscid, fixed oil, a resin soluble in ether but not 
in alcohol, pectin, gluten and a species of sugar. The morbid 
product may, therefore, be considered as the ergot of maize. 
(Am. J. Pharm., July, 1861, p. 306.) The fungus has received 
the title of Ustitago Maidis. It is said, adds Prof Wood, to pro- 
duce abortion in cows when the diseased grain is eaten by 
them; and six drachms of this ergot produced the same effect 
on the pregnant bitches to which it was given to test its aborti- 
facient property. (Am. J. Pharm., Sept., 1861, from Annal. 
Med. Vet. Beige.) 

Corn is certainly one of the most nutritious of the cerealia 
with which man has been blessed. In one hundred pounds of 
corn there are ten of oil ; the grain and meal are prepared in 
a great variety of ways, and the whole plant adapted to many 
useful purposes in the arts, in medicine, and in domestic econ- 
omy. The article Zea, in the Eural Cyc, is full of information 
compiled from numerous authorities. The author refers to the 
manufacture of coarse paper from the husks. Blade tea is quite 
a favorite diaphoretic used recently by many in the Southern 
States in fever — its anti-periodic properties doubtful. The use 
of corn meal to form an emollient poultice, and for conveying 
and retaining heat to the surface of the skin, is well known. 
Corn meal rubbed into fresh meat will preserve it fresh several 
days during hot weather; a light covering with bran or a series 
of dustings with oatmeal will be equally eflScient — methods so 
easily put in practice that a knowledge of them may prove 
serviceable in times of difficulty. 

In the Patent Office Reports, 1855, p. 158, there is a commu- 
nication on "Bread crops," on the value and use of the maize 
as an article of food, on its preparation for bread in place of 
wheat flour, and on the economy of mixing rye with corn. It 
is stated from a foreign report that a " bread composed of two- 
thirds rye and one-third maize, is about ten per cent, cheaper 
than bread made of pure rye." A method is given to prevent 
the souring of maize flour. In our armies during the recent 



633 

war it was a universal subject of complaint that corn meal, or 
flour, was not given to the soldiers in place of wheat, as it is 
nutritious and much more easily and better cooked. Besides, 
Southerners are, for the most part, more accustomed to corn 
bread. 

The " Boston Brown Bread," a useful hygienic preparation, 
contains two parts of corn to one of rye meal, and is made in 
the following manner : " To three quarts of mixed meal are 
added a gill of molasses, two teaspoonsful of salt, one teaspoon- 
ful of saleratus, and either a tea cupful of home-brewed or half 
a tea cupful of brewer's yeast. This bread continues good and 
wholesome as long as any other bread is usually kept ; but like 
other ))i'cparations of corn it is pi-eferred warm, and is generally 
eaten Tresh, or after being toasted. Like all other kinds of corn 
bread it is an acceptable substitute not only for the bread made 
of other grains but for the vegetables which use has made 
desirable at the noonday meal." 

Corn fecula, an admirable substitute for arrowroot, for table 
use, much cheaper and equally free, says Parrish, from unpleas- 
ant odor and taste, is largely manufactured. It is also much 
sold in England under the name of Oswego Starch. Prepared 
corn is an excellent food for children. 

A chemical analysis of the corn-cobs is given by Prof. C. T. 
Jackson, volume Patent Office Reports, 1855, p. 163, and a paper 
on green corn for fodder, p. 168. It may be planted as a sub- 
stitute for Northern hay. " The amount of green food which 
may thus be grown under favorable circumstances seems almost 
incredible. An acre contains forty-three thousand five hundred 
and sixty square feet; if, therefore, but one such stalk were to 
grow upon each foot, there would be over seventy-six tons pro- 
duced to the acre." The Northern varieties are recommended 
to be planted at the South for this purpose. Land that will 
produce two tons of hay will yield, it is supposed, ten tons of 
corn fodder for leaves, roots, etc., suitable for man and horse in 
periods of scarcity. See "Alopecurus" and ^^Anthoxanthum" in 
this volume. 

Mr. J. H. Salisbury, in a prize essay published by the New 
York State Agricultural Society, and quoted in Norton's Ele- 
ments of Practical Agriculture, states that there is in the cob of 
this grain two per cent, of gluten and gum, and one or two per 



634 

cent, of sugar, with a little starch. It has, therefore, some im- 
portance of its own as food. In Patent Office Reports, 1848, p. 
355, it is stated in a report from Richmond, Massachusetts, that 
" corn-stalks, well secured and cut fine, furnish an agreeable 
and healthy food for horses and neat cattle: for the latter, if 
when cut they are scalded by pouring on warm water, they are 
almost equal to what thej'- are when green, especially for cows, 
causing them to produce milk of almost the richness of June. 
They are worth, when well cured, six d©llars per ton, when hay 
is worth ten dollars ; straw is worth from four dollars and fifty 
cents to five dollars per ton. Large quantities of straw are 
annually manufactured into paper, and the demand for this 
purpose probably increases its price some fifteen or twenty per 
cent." 

On the subject of general economy, in absence of supply of 
Northern hay, I introduce the following in an article on corn- 
stalks for fodder, by a correspondent of the Country Gentleman, 
1861. It is advised to be cured, cut up entire, and fed to cattle. 
The Editor of the Southern Field and Fireside says : " For the 
last six years, while residing on a farm in G-eorgia, we have fol- 
lowed the Northern plan of cutting up corn near the ground, 
curing the stalks and corn in shocks, then husking or shucking 
the corn, and feeding the stalks and blades together. This we 
regard as much better economy than to pull fodder and leave 
the whole stalks in the field. If we had many cattle to feed, 
we should procure a machine for cutting the stalks, steam them 
a little, and add a little meal of some kind. We have fed dairy 
cows in this way with satisfactory results. Good clover hay is 
worth more than any corn fodder for cows and horses, pound 
for pound." See, also, same paper, May 4, 1861, for article on 
cultivation of hay. Corn-stalks are also very useful as manure, 
when composited with a little caustic lime, as it is a plant-food 
of considerable value. " Dr. Spengle found eighty-eight pounds 
of ashes in one thousand pounds of corn-stalks. Corn-cobs are 
rich in potash, and yet one often sees them wasted in wood-lots 
or the highway." The cob yields almost as much ashes as the 
tobacco plant. 

A writer in the Richmond Examiner, 1862, from Fluvanna 
County, communicates the following substitute for Soda : " To 
the ashes of corn-cobs add a little boiling water; after allowing 



635 

it to stand for a few minutes, pour off the lye, which can be used 
at once with an acid, (sour milk or vinegar.) It makes the bread 
almost as light as soda." I have seen this preparation made and 
used at the -South during the war. It is, strictly speaking, a 
potash mixture, has precisely the taste of a strong solution of 
bi-carbonate of potash, and could be used in cough mixtures to 
correct acidity, and wherever an alkaline solution is required. 
The bread made with it is excellent. It would also serve the 
purposes of " concentrated lye." For manufacture of soda, see 
" Salsola kali." 

An economiesal mode of making Soap with corn shucks, which 
a correspondent in the Southern Field and Fireside, March 8, 
1862, says "has been tried and approved by several persons," I 
insert ae follows : " Take one gallon of strong lye, add a half 
pound of shucks, cut up fine. Let the shucks boil in the lye 
until they are reduced to shreds. Then fish the shreds out, and 
put half a pound of crackling grease in, or six ounces of lard, and 
boil until it is sufficiently thick to make good soap." The 
amount of potash in the blade and shuck of corn observed in the 
table I have inserted from Ure's Dictionary may explain the 
value of this substance. I am informed that soap has been made 
satisfactorily from the corn shuck, as above described. 

I insert the following, believing that the ashes of the corn- 
cob, on account of the potash it contains, would serve in place 
of those from hickory : 

Preserving Meat. — Ashes prepared from green hickory wood, 
combined with salt in the proportion of one-third to two-thirds 
b}'^ measurement, and applied in the ordinary way of salting 
meat, in ordinary quantity, will save pork fully as well as salt 
alone, and give a delicacy of flavor to bacon made from it which 
saltpetre or sugar pickle will not impart. Mix the ashes and 
salt thoroughly, in the above proportions, and use the mixture 
as salt alone is commonly used. No one need hesitate to rely 
on it. 

Beer may be made from corn thus : " Take one pint of corn 
and boil it until it is soft, add to it a pint of molasses and one 
gallon of water; shake them well together and set it by the 
fire, and in twenty-four hours the beer will be excellent. "When 
all the beer of the jug is used add more molasses and water. 
The same corn will answer for months, and the beer will be fit 



636 

for use in twelve hours by keeping the jug where it h warm. In 
this way the ingreilients used in making a gallon of beer will 
not cost over pix cents, and it is better and more wholesome 
than cider. A little yea-^t greatly forwards the working of the 
beer." To make .S«t^/// Beer: *' Nine quarts ofwater, three pints 
of bran, and a few hops; strain and cool to milk-warm, thei» 
put in a few raisins, one pint of molasses, let them stand one 
night and strain and bottle it." 

A Substitutefor Coffee was recommended as follows during the 
period of scarcity : For a family of seven or eight persons, take 
a pint of well toasted corn meal and add to it as much water as 
an ordinary sized coffee pot w4ll hold, and then boil it well. 
We have tried this toasted meal coffee, and prefer it. Many 
persons cannot drink coffee with impunity, and we advise all 
such to try the receipt. They will find it more nutritious than 
coffee, and quite as palatable." See rice (Oryza sativa) and 
"okra" {Hibiscus csculentus) for their uses as substitutes for 
coffee. 

The journals continued to report as long as the war lasted 
that "blade tea is excellent in fevers," and that ^'■raw corn meal, 
mixed with water to drink, removes superfluous bile and cures 
fever!" "Green corn and w^heat makes useful starch, and rice 
starch gives lawns and colored articles a look of newness un- 
surpassed." 

Oil of a fine quality is manufactured from corn. " It is said 
to burn with a clear, steady light, in every respect equal to sperm 
or lard oil, without the smoke which usually attends vegetable 
oils, and will not congeal in the coldest weather." A liquor, 
well known as corn "Whiskey, is also distilled from the fermented 
grain. 

Thaer says " the use of unripe maize for the manufacture of 
Sugar has lately been again recommended, on the ground that 
maize is better adapted for this purpose than beet root. I have 
long been of opinion that of all plants which can be raised in 
this country, maize is better suited to the purpose in question ; 
the syrup extracted from it is before crystallization decidedly 
superior to that of the best sort." Principles of Agriculture, 
p. 485. In the Southern States where the sugar-canes have 
been so generally introduced the problem may be differently 
solved. As it may become a matter of great interest, I insert 
the following : 



637 

Corn Sugar. — Extracts from the remarks on the mode of 
manufacture, by Wm. Webb, of Wilmington, Delaware, May, 
1862: 

The raw juice of maize, when cultivated for sugar, marks 10° 
on the saccharometer, while the average of cane juice (as I 
am informed) is not higher than 8°, and beet juice not over 3°. 
From nine and three-quarter quarts (dry measure) of the former 
I have obtained four pounds six ounces of syrup concentrated 
to the point suitable for crystallization. The proportion of 
crystallizable sugar appears to be larger than is obtained from 
cane juice in Louisiana. This is accounted for by the fact that 
our climate ripeus corn perfectly, while it but rarely, if ever, 
happens that cane is fully matured. In some cases the syrup 
has crystallized so completely that less than one-sixth part of 
molasses remained. This, however, only happened after it had 
stood one to two months. There is reason to believe that if 
the plant were fully ripe, and the process of manufacture per- 
fectly performed, the syrup might be entirely crystallized with- 
out forming any molasses. Without any other means for pressing 
out the juice than a small hand mill, it is impossible to say how 
great a quantity of sugar may be produced on an acre; but the 
calculations made from trials on a small scale leave no room to 
doubt the quantity of sugar will be from eight hundred to one 
thousand pounds. 

I have been informed by Mr. Ellsworth that M. Pallas, of 
France, had discovered in 1839 that the saccharine pi'operties 
of maize were increased by merely taking off the ear in its 
embryo state. An experiment, however, which I instituted to 
determine the value of this plan resulted in disappointment. 
The quantity of sugar produced was not large enough to render 
it an object. The reasons of this failure will be sufficiently 
obvious on stating the circumstances. It was found that taking 
the ear off a large stalk, such as is produced by the common 
mode of cultivation, inflicted a considerable wound upon the 
plant, which injured its health, and of course lessened its pro- 
ductive power. It was also found that the natural disposition 
to form grain was so strong that several successive ears were 
thrown out, by which labor was increased and the injuries to 
the plant multiplied. Lastly, it appeared that the juice yielded 
from those plants contained a considerable portion of a foreign 



638 

substance not favorable to the object in view. Yet, under ali 
these disadvantages, from one hundred to two hundred pounds 
of sugar per acre may be obtained. The manifest objections 
detailed above suggested another mode of cultivation, to be em- 
ployed in combination with the one first proposed. It consists 
simply in raising a greater number of plants on the same space 
of ground. By this plan all the unfavorable results above men- 
tioned were obviated, a much larger quantity of sugar was 
produced, and of a better quality. The juice produced by this 
mode of cultivation is remarkably pure and agreeable to the 
taste. The sweetness of the corn-stalk is a matter of universal 
observation. Our forefathers in the Revolutionary struggle 
resorted to it as a means to furnish a substitute for West India 
sugar. They expressed the juice and exerted their ingenuity 
in efforts to bring it to a crystallized state ; but we have no 
account of any successful operation of the kind. In fact, the 
bitter and nauseous properties contained in the joints of large 
stalks render the whole amount of juice from them fit only to 
produce an inferior kind of molasses. I found on experiment 
that by cutting out the joints, and crushing the remaining part 
of the stalk, sugar might be made, but still of an inferior 
quality. The molasses, of which there was a large proportion, 
was bitter and disagreeable. 

Fi'om one to two feet of the lower part of these stalks was 
full of juice, but the balance, as it approached the top, became 
dryer and afforded but little. Fi'ora the foregoing experiments 
we see that in order to obtain the purest juice and the greatest 
quantity we must adopt a mode of cultivation which will pre- 
vent the large and luxuriant growth of the stalk. The planting 
should be done with a drilling machine. One man, with a pair 
of horses and an instrument of this kind, will plant and cover 
in the most perfect manner from ten to twelve acres in a day; 
the rows, if practicable, let them run north and south, two and 
n half feet apart, and the seed dropped sufficiently thick in the 
row to insure a plant every two or three inches. A large har- 
row, made with teeth arranged so as not to injure the corn, may 
be used with advantage soon after it is up. The after culture 
is performed with a cultivator, and here will be perceived one 
of the great advantages of drilling; the plants all growing in 
lines, perfectly regular and straight with each other, the horse- 



639 

shoe stirs the earth and cuts the weeds close by every one, so 
that no hand-hoeing will be required in any part of the cultiva- 
tion. It is a part of the system of cane-planting in Louisiana 
to raise as full a stand of cane upon the ground as possible, 
experience having proved that the most sugar is obtained from 
the land in this way. As far as my experience has gone, the 
same thing is true of corn. 

The next operation is taking off the ears. Many stalks will 
not produce any ; but whenever they appear they must be 
removed. Any time before the formation of grain upon them 
will be soon enough. Nothing further is necessary to be done 
until the crop is ready to be cut for grinding. The stalks 
should be topped and bladed while standing in the field. They 
are thoja cut, tied in bundles and taken to the mill. The mills 
used for grinding the Chinese sugar-cane will answer every 
purpose. The tops and blades when properly cured make an 
excellent fodder. 

On the whole, there appears ample encouragement for perse- 
verance. Every step in the investigation has increased the 
probability of success, no evidence having been discovered why 
it should not succeed as well if not better on a large scale than 
it has done on a small one. 

1. In the first place it has been satisfactorily proved that 
sugar of an excellent quality, suitable for common use without 
refining, may be made from the stalks of maize. 

2. That the juice of this plant, when cultivated in a certain 
manner, contains saccharine matter remarkably free from for- 
eign substances. 

3. The quantity of this juice (even supposing we had no 
other evidence about it) is sufficiently demonstrated by the 
great amount of nutritive grain which it produces in the natu- 
ral course of vegetation. It is needless to expatiate on the 
vast advantages which would result from the introduction of 
this manufacture into our country. 

The process which has been employed in the manufacture of 
maize sugar, is as follows: the juice, after coming from the 
mill, stood for a short time to deposit some of its coarser im- 
purities. It was then poured off, and passed through a flannel 
strainer, in order to get rid of such matter as could be sepa- 
rated in this way. Lime water, called milk of lime, was then 



640 

added, in the proportion of one or two tablespoonsful to the 
gallon. It is said by sugar manufacturers that knowledge on 
this point can only be acquired by experience ; but I have never 
failed in making sugar from employing too much or too little of 
the lime. A certain portion of this substance, however, is un- 
doubtedly necessary, and more or less than this will be injurious, 
but no precise directions can be given about it. The juice was 
then placed over the fire and brought nearly to the boiling 
point, when it was carefully skimmed, taking care to complete 
this operation before ebullition commenced. It was then boiled 
down rapidly, removing the scum as it rose. The juice was 
examined from time to time, and if there was any appearance 
of feculent particles which would not rise to the surface, it was 
again passed through a flannel strainer. In judging when the 
syrup is sufficiently boiled a portion was taken between the 
thumb and finger, and if when moderately cool a thread half 
an inch long could be drawn it was considered to be done," and 
poured into broad, shallow vessels to crystallize. In some cases 
crystallization commenced in twelve hours; in others not till 
after several days ; and in no case was this process so far com- 
pleted as to allow the sugar to be drained in less than three 
weeks from the time of boiling. The reason whj^ so great a 
length of time was required 1 have not yet discovered. There 
is no doubt that an improved process of manufacture will cause 
it to granulate as quickly as any other. 

The stripping the ears from the corn is esteemed by some es- 
sential in the production of sugar, though not in the production 
of a much smaller quantity of excellent molasses. The prin- 
cipal labor consists in stripping oif the leaves, which should be 
done before the stalks are cut. Dr. Naudain, of Delaware, 
says (So. Cult. p. 26, vol. i) that the corn should be planted as 
broom corn is commonly planted — very close in the row, prob- 
ably a stalk every four inches. 

At a meeting of the French Academy M. Biot read the report 
of a committee, which paper contained the following state- 
ments: of the corn-stalks experimented upon the ears had been 
removed from one portion and left to grow on others. The juice 
obtained from the stalks which had been castrated yielded 
twelve per cent, of sugar ; that expressed from the stalks on 
which the ears had been permitted to grow thirteen per cent.; 



641 

so that so far as France is concerned the results of former ex- 
periments may be fallacious. " The juice of maize contains as 
much if not a larger proportion of sugar than that of sugar- 
cane." Farmer's Encyc. 

The reader interested will find the several numbers of 
Southern Cultivator, in vols, i, ii, iii and iv. See pp. 17, 19 and 25, 
and 90 of vol. i, a large number of papers on this subject. I 
regret that I can only refer to them. Hundreds of pounds of 
sugar were made by several persons. Six hundred to six 
thousand pounds can be made from one acre. It must be far 
easier to crj^stallize than that from sorghum. It has been ad- 
vised to take off the tassel instead of the ear in order to increase 
the saccharine principle. Twenty-five gallons of juice make 
four gjdions of syrup, and a gallon of juice will produce one and 
one-quarter pounds of sugar. The corn is not lost as fodder, 
and the salted refuse is also good. The boiling of the syrup 
should be commenced immediately after the corn is cut. The 
high price of sugar and molasses would add increased impor- 
tance to this subject. I obtain the following from the Louis- 
ville Courier: 

Pa^er.— The manufacture of Paper from the leaves of Indian 
corn is becoming extensive in Austria. The paper is said to be 
tougher than ordinary paper made from rags, while it is almost 
whoU}' free from silica, which makes paper produced from straw 
so brittle. 

If the above be true it is a discovery of immense importance 
to the United States. We consume more paper than any other 
nation, and have Indian corn to make it of. If Indian corn 
paper be tougher than rag or straw paper it is just what we 
need, and our already monstrous corn crop, Avhich in 1850 was 
592,071,000 bushels to 100,485,000 bushels of wheat, and is 
mainly devoted to feeding our immense herds of live stock will 
be greatly extended, and paper go down in price. 

Paper from Indian Corn Leaves. — The London Daily Tele- 
graph gives the following account of Paper-making from Indian 
corn leaves, which promises to make a revolution in the paper 
business if only half is true that is stated, and we do not see 
any reason to doubt its correctness : 

" Recent experiments have proved Indian corn to possess not 
only all the qualities necessary to make a good article, but to be 
41 



642 

in many respects superior to rags. Tlie discovery to which we 
allude is a complete success, and may be expected to exercise 
the greatest influence upon the price of paper. Indian corn, in 
countries of a certain degree of temperature, can be easily culti- 
vated to a degree more than sufficient to satisfy the utmost de- 
mands of the paper market. Besides, as rags are likely to fall 
in price, owing to the extensive supply resulting from this new 
element, the world of writers and readers would seem to have a 
brighter future before it than the boldest fancy would have im- 
agined a short time ago. 

"This is not the first time that paper has been manufactured 
from the blade of Indian corn ; but strange to say, the art was 
lost, and required to be discovered anew. As early as the 
seventeenth century an Indian corn paper manufactory was 
in full operation at the town of Eievi, in Italy, and enjoyed a 
world-wide reputation at the time ; but with the death of its 
proprietor, it seems to have lapsed into oblivion. Attempts sub- 
sequently made to continue the manufacture were baffled by the 
difficulty of removing the flint, and resinous, and glutinous mat- 
ter contained in the blade. The recovery of the process has at 
last been efi'ected, and it is due to the cleverness of one Herr 
Moritz Diamant, a Jewish writing master in Austria, and the 
trial of his method on a grand scale, which was made at the 
Imperial manufactor}' of Schlogelniuhle, near Glognitz, Lower 
Austria, has completely demonstrated the certainty of the in- 
vention. Although the machinery, arranged as it was for the 
manufacture of rag paper, could not of coui-se fully answer the 
requirements of Herr Diamant, the results of the essay were 
wonderfully favorable. The article produced was of a purity of 
texture and whiteness of color that left nothing to be desired ; 
and this is all the more valuable from the difficulty usually ex- 
perienced in the removal of impurities from rags. The pro- 
prietor of the invention is Count Carl Octavio Za Lippe Wessen- 
feld, and several experiments give the following results : 

" 1. It is not only possible to produce every variety of paper 
from the blades of Indian corn, but the product is equal and in 
some respects even superior to the article manufactured from 
rags. 

•' 2. The paper requires but very little size to render it fit for 
writing purposes, as the pulp naturally contains a large propor- 



643 

tion of that necessary ingredient, which can, at the same time, 
be easily eliminated if desirable. 

"3. The bleaching is effected by an extraordinarily rapid and 
facile process, and indeed for the common light-colored packing 
paper the process becomes entirely unnecessary. 

" 4. The Indian corn paper possesses greater strength and 
tenacity than rag paper, without the drawback of brittleness, so 
conspicuous in the common straw products. 

"5. No machinery being required in the manufacture of this 
paper for the purpose of tearing up the raw material and reduc- 
ing it to pulp, the expense both in point of power and time is 
far less than is necessary for the production of rag paper. 

"Count Lippe having put himself in communication with the 
Austriffh Government an Imperial manufactory for Indian corn 
paper, (maishalm papier, as the inventor calls it,) is now in course 
of construction at Pesth, the capital of the greatest Indian corn 
growing country in Europe. Another manufactory is already 
in full operation in Switzerland, and prepai'ations are being 
made on the coast of the Mediterranean for the production and 
exportation on a large scale of the pulp of this new material." 

Manufactures from Corn-shucks. — A foreigner has filed his ap- 
plication in Washington (with specimens) for a patent for 
various uses made of maize shucks. The varieties include yarn, 
maize cloth, paper of beautiful qualities, (white and colored,) 
from silk to parchment texture, maize flour, etc. 

It should be known by every one, saysa writer, that the dried 
leaf of the corn plant (corn fodder) is successfully used as a sub- 
stitute for Hops. The infusion is prepared in the same way. 
Practice will soon determine the quantity necessary. In one of 
the government hospitals bread for four hundred men was daily 
prepared in this way. and it was fully equal to the best bread 
prepared with hops. See Life Everlasting, (" Gnaphalium,") in 
this volume. 

SWEET-SCENTED GRASS, (Anthoxanthum odoratum, L.) 
Probably imported ; found near Savannah River and around 
Charleston. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 316 and 514. It has been 
used as a tonic and cordial. The fragrance, according to the 
analysis of Vogel, depends upon the presence of benzoic acid. 
Lind. Nat. Syst. 319. 



044 

This grass, as well as Holcus odoratus, contains ben::otc acid. 
(Wilson.) It is thought to improve the quality of mutton, 
and to give fragrance to butter made of the milk of cows which 
feed upon it. It has been employed in making imitation Leghorn 
hats. "From its dwarty growth, and the close sward it forms, 
it is recommended to be sown on lawns or ornamental grounds." 
In Patent Ottice Reports on Agriculture, 1854, p. 22, and in 
Darlington's Agric. Botany, some information is given concern- 
ing some of the best grasses for pasturage suitable to this 
country. 

The spurry {Spenjula arvensis) is introduced, but grows 
abundantly in our fields. In Germany and Franco it is much 
cultivated as a winter pasturage for cattle ; mutton, as also the 
milk and butter of cows fed with it, are stated by Thaer to be 
of very superior quality. It is usually sown on stubble tields 
alter the grain crops have been removed. "But the principal 
use to which this plant can be applied in this country is as a 
green n\iinure on poor, dry, sandy, or worn out soils." See, also, 
in Patent Othce Reports, Agriculture, p. 1S7, an account of the 
Couohgrass, (TriHcum repens,) by C. E. Potter, of New Hamp- 
shire: "It is a stocky, hardy, sweet plant, and if properly cut 
and cured will command a higher price in the market where it 
is known than the herds-gniss or timothy." Besides, it is easily 
propagated from roots on poor lands — even on pine plains. It 
is very ditUcult, however, to eradicate. The writer states that 
it is heavier than any other grass when dried, and will produce 
more weight of fodder upon a given space. 

The reader interested in the best grasses to be planted for 
Hay to supply the loss of Northern hay can consult article on 
"Textile and Forage Crops," Patent Othce Keports, 1855, p. 252. 
See, also, Patent Ottice Keports, 308, 1858, on the cutting and 
curing of hay. The Si>uthern planter can here obtain informa- 
tion which may aid him in substituting native for the imported. 
There ai'e two grasses planted in Holland that I think tit to oite 
here, as they may be made useful where drainage is employed, 
or banks formed to prevent the encroachment of water, viz : 
the sand or sea-side Lime grass, (^Elymus arenarius,) which Sir H. 
Davy found to contain one-third of its weight of sugar, hence 
called the "Sugar-Cane of Great Britain." It is too hai'd and 
coai"se to be eaten by animals, unless cut up. • The pui-posefor 



645 

which this plant is goneruliy omploycd, and Ibr which its 
ereopinn-, inattod roots tit it in an ominout degree, is for binding 
loose sands when sown with the sea-reed, (Anmdo arenaria,) to 
prevent the encroaclunent oi' the sea. The world renowned 
diUes of Ilolhind owe much of their strength and durability to 
the protection ailbrded by these remarkable plants." See Pa- 
tent Otlice Reports, 1854, p. 26. AVe have two species of A7j//»i/s 
growing within the Southern States. See article " Allergrass" 
in Wilson's Hural Cyc, for method of raising grass and haj' to 
advantage, jn-oducing a double crop, the combination of grasses, 
etc. Law's Practical .Vgriculture, and Louilon's Kncyc. of Ag- 
riculture ; Wilson's articles " Agricultural seeds" and ^'Grasses," 
" Aijro^^tis," etc.; Sinclair's Hortus Gramrncus Wobernensis, and 
Richarfteon's Essay on Fiorin, (tiorin is produced from an aquatic 
grass, Aijrostis stolonifera longiftora.) Alopccunis pratt'/tsis, mea- 
dow or tall grass, which is found in the Southern States, is 
much cultivated as a grass in Europe ; it is much relished by 
horses ami cattle. For wet soils Aijrostis, and the Foa can bo 
cultivated with great advantage, furnishing the greatest yield. 
In England the}- plant a mixture of the most valuable grasses 
upon scientitic principles, upon land ill adapted for any other 
product, using lime, etc. See article cited, also Hural Cyc, 
article '• Barren soils," for plants best adapted to such soils. See, 
also, " /)C/iC()//i." The Agro.^tis stoloniftra laiifolia (Fiorin) is 
considered by many in England as the best and most productive 
grass to sow on wet meadows ; it is said to yield enormous 
crops, and it vegetates during the cold portions of the j^ear. It 
has been a subject of much discordant opinion. See Kichard- 
son's Essay on Agriculture, and his Memoir on " Fiorin grass." 
Wilson, in his Rural Cyc, article '' Food of Animals," gives a 
list of the plants which are entirely avoided by all animals ; 
also the leaves of certain trees and plants which can be used as 
substitutes for hay, when it is scarce, as follows : The leaves of 
elm, mulberry, ash, hornbeam ; the lime trees, {Tilia,) the com- 
mon maple and sycamore ; the common acacia, {Bobinia pseu- 
dacaciii ;) the willows, the poplars, the birches, beeches, plane 
trees, chestnuts, oaks, dogwood, {Cornus ;) hazel, {Cori/lus;') 
fur/.e, (^Ulcj.;) and the vine are frequently used, he says, for this 
purpose on the Continent, in places where they hapi>en to be 
plentiful. The green leaves of a tolerably large number of 



646 

vegetables are annually cultivated on a large scale, either as 
food for man or for cattle, such as the leaves of maize, beet 
root, cabbage, carrot, parsnip, potato and some others, all of 
which may be used for this purpose. Op. cit. So, also, the 
roots of a great many plants — the tui-nip, carrot, etc. 

In times of war when there is difficulty in obtaining provis- 
ions for man and horse, many of these articles might be obtained 
by soldiers, detailed for the purpose from regiments in the ser- 
vice, particularly for the use of the cavalry horses. It is only 
necessary to know precisely what are the leaves or roots which 
are edible. See ^^ Zea." Consult Rural Cyc, articles "Grasses," 
" Hay," " Hay-making," for much information on forage crops 
and grasses, etc. 

GAM A GRASS; SESAME GRASS, {Tripsacum dactyloides, 
L. Tripsacum monostachyum, Willd.) Fla. and northward. 

This grass at one time attracted great attention as an article 
of fodder for stock. Darlington (Agricult. Botany, 234) thinks 
that its stem is too hard. " The leaves and young culms may 
do when better materials are scarce." 

BEARDED DARNEL, {Lolium temulentum, L.) Ryle. Grain 
fields of North Carolina. Chap. 

Johnston, in his " Chemistry of Common Life," vol. ii, p. 148, 
classes this among the intoxicating substances that are liable to 
get mixed up with rye or wheat, and render it poisonous. It 
"creeps occasionally into our fermented liquors and our bread." 
It grows abundantly in corn fields, and is cut with the grain. 
"They have been long known to possess narcotic and singularly 
intoxicating properties. When malted along with barley, 
which when the grain is ill cleaned sometimes unintentionally 
happens, they impart their intoxicating quality to the beer, and 
render it unusually and even dangerously heady. When ground 
up with wheat and made into bread they produce a similar 
effect, especially if the bread be eaten hot. Many instances are 
on record in which effects of this kind, sometimes amusing, and 
sometimes alarming, have been produced by the unintentional 
consumption of darnelled bread or beer. A recent case oc- 
curred, 1853, at Roscrea, in Ireland, where several families, con- 
taining not less than thirty persons, were poisoned by eating 
Darnel flour in their whole meal bread. They were attacked 
by giddiness, staggering, violent tremors, similar to those 



647 

experienced in the delirium tremens produced by intoxicating 
liquors, viz: impaired vision, coolness of the skin and extremi- 
ties, partial paralysis, and in some cases vomiting, ^y the use 
of emetics and stimulants, all were recovered, though greatly 
prostrated in strength. The narcotic principle in these seeds 
has not yet been discovered. When distilled with water they 
yield a light and a heavy volatile oil ; but that the narcotic 
virtue resides in these oils has not jat been shown. No volatile 
alkali like the nicotine of tobacco has been detected in the 
water and oils which distilled over." 

Wilson, in his Rui'al Cyc, affirms the highly dangerous prop- 
erties of the Darnel. Its seeds being about the same size as 
wheat are often exceedingly difficult to be separated, and when 
they "^find their way with the wheat into bread flour they 
prove highly noxious to man, injuring his health, and some- 
times producing delirium, stupefaction and other symptoms of 
poisoning." " It fearfully deteriorates many samples of foreign 
wheat." I insert this, also, because many of these symptoms, 
caused by eating bad flour, have been ascribed to ergot. The 
people of whole provinces in France were afi'ected, and a com- 
mission had to be sent to inquire into the cause, which was 
ascribed to ergot. See " Ergot,'' " Ergotetia,'' in this volume. 

BERMUDA GRASS, {Panicum dactylon, L. Digitaria dactylon, 
Ell. Sk.) Common in the low country ; vicinity of Charleston. 
Fl. Aug. 

Dem. Eleni. de Bot. iii, 289. The root is used in the shape of 
a ptisan, as an aperient and diuretic. The extract is said to 
purge like manna. It is eaten by dogs to procure vomiting. 
The plant contains a nutritive principle. 

LARGE-SPIKED PANICUM, {Panicum Italicum, Walt.) 
Grows in ponds and damp soils ; vicinity of Charleston. Fl. 
Sept. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 286. Detersive and mucilaginous • 
eaten by birds, but said to be injurious to man. Mer. and de L. 
Diet, de M. Med. v, 182. 

BROOM GRASS; INDIAN GrUL^^, {Andropogon scoparius, 
Mx.) Common in fields. 

I am informed by a medical friend that a poultice or a strong 
decoction made with this grass is applied to relieve pain, as it is 
thought to possess some narcotic property! 



648 

SEASIDE OATS, (^Uniola paniculata.) Drifting sands. Coast. 

Dr. J. H. Mellichamp informs me that "cattle are very fond 
of this grass when in milk and become fat while feeding on it. 
The grain is large, and it is this probably which attracts the 
deer to the sand hills in the fall and winter." He suggests that 
it might be cut at the proper time and cured as fodder, and it 
may be worthy of cultivation, 

TIMOTHY GRASS, {Phleum pratense, Linn.) Grows on Sul- 
livan's Island (?) Elliott's plant is not P. pratense, but an im. 
ported grass. H. W. R. It is supposed to be a valuable grass. 

On the subject of substitutes for Northern Hay, see *' Cuitiva. 
tion of hay, cutting and curing," Patent Office Reports, 1858, p. 
308. Grass for hay should be cut at that period when the largest 
amount of gluten, sugar and other matters soluble in water are 
contained in it. That period is not, generally speaking, when 
the plants have shot into seed, for the principal substance is 
then woody fibre, which is insoluble in water, and, therefore, un- 
fitted for being assimilated in the stomach. It has been ascer- 
tained that when the grass first springs above the surface of the 
earth, the chief constituent of the blades is water, the amount 
of solid matter being comparatively trifling; as its growth ad- 
vances, the deposition of a more indurated form of carbon 
gradually becomes moi'e considerable, the sugar and soluble 
matter at first increasing, then gradually diminishing, to give 
way to the deposition of woody substance, the saccharine juices 
being in the greatest abundance when the grass is in full flower, 
but before the seed is formed. Many of the natural pasture 
grasses — timothy grass (^Phleum pratense) — are exceptions to 
this rule. The culms of the latter "are found to contain more 
nutritious matter when the seed is ripe than those of any other 
species of grass that has been submitted to experiment ; the 
value of the culms simply exceeds that of the grass when hi 
flower in the proportion of fourteen to five." 

GUINEA CORN ; INDIAN MILLET, OR DOURA CORN, 
(Holcus sorghum.) 

This plant, a native of India, has been for a long time cul- 
tivated with great success on the plantations in the Carolinas 
and Georgia, and it grows throughout the Southern States. 
The seed are produced in great abundance — they are pounded 
and eaten by the negroes, and are fed to poultry. The Guinea 



G4'J 

corn makes excellent brooms, and it affords one of the best 
materials to supply the great demand. A brief paper on its 
culture can be. found in the Patent Office Eeports, Agricult., 
1854, p. 161, by N. T. Sorsby, of Alabama. The reddish-brovvn 
variety is much more prolific than the white, as it matures early. 
" The plant grows well on the poorest soils, and makes a good 
crop on our limestone rock, where there is enough of it disin- 
tegrated 10 support the stalk." It needs bat little culture; after 
it gets a start it defies weeds and grass, and will make a crop in 
spite of every disaster. " It is sometimes cut gi*een for soiling 
cattle and mules, and if properly done, so as not to injui-e the 
buds near the gi-ound, it may be cut several times in a season. 
It is also cured and made into fodder or hay. The stalks are 
someti*nes cut before frost and put into barns, and then fed to 
stock. They remain green for months, and do not ferment nor 
spoil so soon as Indian corn or other grain." This plant wnll, 
therefore, serve as a sul-stituic for Northern hay. 

DOUKA COEN, {Sorghum vuhjnre, Pers.) Cultivated. 

It is said to yield a larger bulk of seed per acre than any 
other cereal grass whatever, not even excepting maize. It has 
a nutritive quality about equal to that of average samples of 
British wheat ; it yields a beautiful white flour when crushed ; 
and it may without any detei-ioration be mixed or ground up 
with wheaten flour, though it differs from wheat, and has some 
affinity to oats in containing a lai'ge quantity' of casein. See 
Wilson's Eural Cyc. The broom-corn is S. saccharatum ; the 
Guinea corn S- cernuum, Willd, according to Chapman's So. 
Flora. 

Mr. N. P. Walker, late principal of the Institute for the 
Blind, at Cedar Springs, near Spaitanburg, S. C, informs us 
that brooms are manufactured in large quantities by the blind 
fi'om broom-corn grown in the vicinity. 

CHINESE SUGAR-CANE, {Sorghum saccharatum.) {Sorgho 
Sucre.') 

M. De Montigny, the French Consul, introduced into Europe 
the Chinese sugar-cane. Its juice furnishes three important 
products, namely: sugar, which is identical with that of cane, 
alcohol and a fermented drink analagous to cider. The density 
varies, and the proportion of the sugar contained in it, from 
ten to sixteen per cent., a third part of which is sometimes 



650 

uncrystallizable. To this quantity of uncrystallizable sugar 
this juice owes its facility of readily fermenting, and "conse- 
quently the large amount of alcohol it produces compared with 
the saccharine matter, observed directly by the saccharometer." 
Climate makes a great difference in the amount of sugar this 
plant yields. " As the molasses, too, is identical with that 
manufactured from the cane, it may be used in the distillation 
of rum, alcohol and the liquor called '^apa,' which resembles 
brandy. It will be remembered, too, that in the manufacture 
of brandy or alcohol the uncrystallizable sugar can be turned 
to account, which in a measure would otherwise be lost. 
Another advantage consists in the pureness of the juice, which 
when thus converted, from the superiority of its quality can be 
immediately brought into consumption and use." The alcohol 
produced by only one distillation is nearly destitute of foreign 
flavor, having an agreeable taste somewhat resembling noyau, 
being much less ardent or fiery than rum. M. Vilmorin observes 
that the sugar is most abundant at the putting forth of the 
spikes, but the proportion of the sugar in the stalks continues 
to increase until the seeds are in a milky state. See Patent 
Office Eeports, Agricult., 1854, p. 223. I have seen excellent 
molasses made from this plant by ordinary mills. The flavor 
and taste was equal to good quality of treacle, and it furnishes 
a most nutritious and useful food for laborers. 

In Patent Office Eeports, 1855, pp. 280-284, are two state- 
ments by residents of New York and Pennsylvania on the 
planting of the sorghum, also a republication of Governor J. H. 
Hammond's early experience with it. The plant attains from 
ten to fourteen feet in height. I found that in the Citj^ of 
Charleston, on a bit of ground which was too wet to manure 
any vegetable, and subject to the tides, this plant grew to a 
great height, even when closely sown. I am convinced that it 
is particularly suitable to be planted as a substitute for hay, 
and in lands even too wet for corn. It also grows well on high 
dry land. One of the writers just referred to thinks it will be 
of great benefit to every section of the country, " not only as 
a green feed during the hot months, but after being cut up and 
cured like the corn plant; its stalks may be steamed during 
the winter and given to horses, oxen or cows, which will com- 
mence eating at one end and never leave them till entirely 
onsumed." 



651 

Gov. Hammond had a rude mill put up with two beech wood 
rollers. Ten canes selected, the heads of which were fully 
matured, yielded three quarts of syrup. The juice tested by 
the saccharometer showed that the youngest had rather the 
most and the oldest rather the least saccharine matter ; he made 
syrup " equal to the best we could obtain from New Orleans." 
Lime water of the consistency of ci'eam was put to every five 
gallons of the cold juice. " A good sugar mill, with three 
wooden rollers, may be erected for less than twenty-five dollars, 
and a sugar boiler that will make thirty gallons of syrup a day, 
may be purchased for less than sixty dollars." Since the jjeriod 
at which this was written, great improvements have been 
made in machinery, etc. 

Notodoubt, sufficient cane for syrup, and tobacco for the use of 
laborers should be raised on every plantation. Patent Office 
Reports, 1857, contain chemical researches by Prof. C. T. Jack- 
son (p. 185) upon the Sorghum. It was also determined that 
the -'Chinese and African sugar-canes, broom-corn and doura 
are only varieties of a primitive species, the Andropogon sorghum 
of authors, or allowing the genus Sorghum to stand. Sorghum 
vulgare. These plants should not be allowed to amalgamate. 
The saccharine secretions of one variety will be diminished by 
cross fecundation with another not producing an equal amount ; 
and the saccharine qualities peculiar to one may be lost by 
planting in a soil or climate diff'ering from that which has 
brought them forth in unusual qualit}'. If their cultivation as 
a forage crop, and a syrup and sugai'-producing plant shall 
]jrove profitable, the use of the grain in the form of flour, as 
well as feed for stock, may considerably diminish the cost of 
productions. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. Proc. Molasses and sugar 
are both powerfully anti-septic, and may be used in place of 
salt. Wilson states " that a comparatively small quantity of 
sugar, without any salt, will, if applied to the muscular parts 
of the open fish, preserve salmon, cod and whiting for several 
days, and impart to them no disagreeable taste." Rural C^'C. 

Prof. J. Lawrence Smith, of South Carolina, in an examina- 
tion of the sugar-bearing capacity of the Chinese sugar-cane, 
expresses himself with great moderation. He reminds the 
reader that there are two well known varieties of sugar, viz : 
glucose, or grape sugar, (a sugar moderately sweet and difficult 



652 

of crystallization,) and cane sugar, with a very sweet taste, and 
easily crystallized. The first form occurs most abundantly in 
fruits, the latter in the sugar-cane, the beet root, the water- 
melon, maple, etc. Now the cane sugar is easily convertible 
into grape sugar, and in all processses for extracting the former, 
one important aim is to prevent this transformation. "For 
instance, were we to take the juice of the sugar-cane (contain- 
ing about twenty per cent, of crystallizable sugar) and concen- 
trate it, without subjecting it to the action of lime, or some 
other defecating agent, fully half of the sugar would be ren- 
dered unciystallizable, and there would be only a small yield 
of sugar, but a large amount of molasses." So the impurities 
must be regarded which may give rise to the altercation men- 
tioned, and the yield of sugar may depend u])on the care and 
skill in working the juices. Dr. Smith then asserts that the 
juices of the cane deteriorate when kept, and advises that no 
time be lost after cutting in expressing the juice. By examin- 
ing with polarized light, (the most accurate method,) the juice 
being previously clarified by acetate of lead, he says, " this 
result settles the question that the great bulk of the sugar con- 
tained in the Sorgho is crystallizable or cane sugar proper." The 
difference of opinion which has existed on this subject no doubt 
arose, it is added, from the fact that different degrees^of care 
had been taken in the concentration of the juice, or that a more 
or less perfect process of defecation was resorted to. He used 
Soleil's polarizing saccharometer. 

Dr. Smith then speaks of the processes for separating the 
sugar. Not successful with the method transmitted by Mr. 
Wray through the Patent Office, he prefers the following: warm 
the fresh juice rapidly to 120° F.; then add to each gallon of 
juice three ounces of lime, first slacking it with five or six times 
its weight of water, then bringing the temperature up to 200°. 
It is then filtered and cai-bonic acid passed through the juice, 
afterward filtered and evaporated to a proper subsistence for 
crystallization. 

Each time that the juice is filtered if it be allowed to pass 
through well washed animal charcoal, the syrup may be made 
very clear and the sugar prepared from it will be perfectly 
white. During the evaj3oration the temperature should at no 
time exceed 215°. It often happens that we have days and even 



653 

weeks for the crystallization to take place ; but it may always 
be hastened by adding to the thick syi'up when cool a few 
grains of brown sugar or a little pulverized white sugar. "It 
must not be forgotten that sugar making is an art, and cannot 
be practiced by every one with a mill and a set of kettles ; also, 
in extracting sugar from one vegetable, we are not to expect to 
apply successfully those methods practiced on other vegetables. 
It was not by applying to the beet root the method of extract- 
ing sugar from the cane that France is now able to produce 
120,000,000 pounds of sugar from that root. What was necessary 
for the beet root is doubtless required for the sorgho, viz: a 
thorough study of its nature, with a process of extracting the 
sugar specially adapted to it." Another observer, from Mis- 
souri,' says that a proper mill for grinding the cane would 
consist of three cast-iron rollers placed horizontally, so that the 
cane when passed tlirough the mill would come out quite diy. 
Then a set of iron kettles made broad and shallow, ranged in a 
furnace so that evaporation might be accomplished more 
rapidly, would be a near approximation to the true method of 
grinding the cane and making molasses. 

That the reader may appreciate some of the difficulties in the 
crystallization of sugai", and perhaps obviate them thereby, I 
will condense some passages from the article on " Sugar " in 
Wilson's Cyc. It applies as well to the problem of the sugar- 
producing powers of the Sorghum: 

All acids have the effect of rendering sugar uncr^^stallizable. 
This is the case with citric, tartaric and oxalic acids, which 
completely and forever destroy in sugar the property of crys- 
tallization. Alkaline substances also prevent the crystallization 
of sugar when mixed in excess. In the manufacture of sugar, 
therefore, from the expressed juice of the cane, the beet, or any 
other sacchariferous plant, the quantity'' of sugar will be less, 
and that of molasses greater, whenever too much lime is used 
in the first purification of the juice. In pressing sugar-cane the 
juice which runs from the mill passes directly into a large boiler, 
in which, for purification, it is heated but not boiled with lime. 
The use of this alkaline earth has a twofold object to neutralize 
the acetic acid which exists ready formed in the woody part of 
the cane and is pressed out by the mill together with the sac- 
charine juice, and to clear this juice from various foreign mat- 



(J54 

ters mingled with it. By the application of gradual heat these 
impurities form a cake with the lime at the surface of the re- 
sinous liquid, which is drawn off clear and conveyed to the first 
boiler. After going through several successive boilers, in each 
of which it is boiled to a thicker consistence, it at length be- 
comes a thick, dark syrup, when it is put into shallow, flat 
coolers. The molasses separates from it. In the very damp 
districts the cane yields no crystallizable sugar, when the whole 
of the juice is used in the manufacture of spirits. 

Dr. J. Brown, in 1857, reported from the U. S. Agricultural 
Society as follows, concerning the sorghum canes ; the yield of 
juice in weight of well trimmed stalks was about fifty per cent. 
The number of gallons of juice required to make a gallon uf 
syrup varied from five to ten, according to the locality, the 
nature of the soil on which it was produced, and the succulent 
condition and maturity of the canes. In the province of New 
Brunswick it required ten to one ; in the rich bottom lands of 
Indiana and Illinois about seven to one; and in the light lands 
of Maryland and Virginia five gallons to one of syrup [obsei've 
the effects of climate and latitude.] The yield of syrup, per 
acre varied from one hundred and fifty to four hundred gallons. 
The amount of pure alcohol produced by the juice ranged from 
five to nine per cent. In cases where the plant was well ma- 
tured and grew upon a warm, light soil, the juice yielded from 
thirteen to sixteen per cent, of dry, saccharine matter, from 
nine to eleven per cent, of which was well defined, crystallized 
cane sugar, and the remainder uncrystallizablc vaoXlQY ov glucose^ 
but that taken from stalks obtained on rich low lands, luxuriant 
in their growth, yielded considerably less. 

Prof. C. T. Jackson, in his chemical researches, p. 187, (P. O. 
Eeports, 1857,) found by experiment that "it was necessary to 
defecate the juice of the sorghum before setting it to ferment, 
otherwise the vinous fermentation sets in and converts all the 
sugar into lactic acid and mannite. Hence, when either vinegar, 
alcohol, or wine is to be made from the juice of this plant, it 
must be clarified or defecated by lime and heat, and then fil- 
tered. When this is done the juice is readily made to undergo 
the vinous fermentation by the addition of a little brewer's 
yeast, and afterward the returns will serve for yeast to any 
quantity of the juice that it may be desired to ferment. I 



655 

mention this because I know that many persons, unaware of 
the above named facts, have lost the sorghum juice they had 
endeavored to ferment both for vinegar and wine. At the 
proper temperature the sorghum juice will undergo the vinous 
fermentation in from three to five days," Dr. Jackson, though 
he does not supply the great desideratum, viz : a simple and 
clear method of obtaining the sugar, is convinced that both the 
Chinese and the African variety of the sorghum " will produce 
sugar of the cane type, perfectly and abundantly, wherever the 
canes will ripen their seeds." He trusts that even the farmers 
of the Northern and the Northwestern States will not be dis- 
couraged. He says that if vacuum apparatus could be applied 
to this manufacture it would be far more sure to succeed, and 
" perhaps in the operation of a large farmer it may not prove 
an unprofitable investment to set vacuum pans on his estate, 
expressly for sugar-boiling. If this cannot be done, we have 
only to caution the experimenters against burning the syrup, 
and to ask them to wait at least a week before they expect to 
see their sugar granulate." 

The following is the plan recommended by Prof Jackson in 
the " Manufacture of sugar and syrup from the juice ;" 

" Omitting as of no immediate practical value to the manu- 
facturer the more refined processes which were employed in 
determining the amount of saccharine matter in the juice of 
this plant, i now describe a cheap and economical method of 
syrup and sugar making, which may be used by the farmer. 
In the first place, it is necessary to filter the juice of the plant 
as it comes from the mill, in order to remove the cellulose and 
fibrous matters and the starch, all of which are present in it 
when expressed. A bag filter, or one made of a blanket, placed 
in a basket, will answer this purpose. Next we have to add a 
sufficiency of milk of lime (that is, lime slacked and mixed 
with water) to the juice to render it slightly alkaline, as shown 
by its changing turmeric paper to a brown color, or reddened 
litmus paper to a blue. A small excess of lime is not injurious. 
After this addition the juice should be boiled say for fifteen 
minutes. A thick, greenish scum rapidly collects on the sur- 
face, which is to be removed by a skimmer, and then the liquid 
should again be filtered. It will be of a pale, straw color, and 
ready for evaporation. It may be boiled down quite rapidly 



656 

to about half its orpginal bulk, after which the fire must be kept 
low, the evapoi'ation to be carried on with great caution, and 
the syrup constantly stirred to prevent it from burning at the 
bottom of the kettle or evaporating pan. Portions of the S3a'up 
are to be taken out from time to time and allowed to cool, to 
see if it is dense enough to crystallize. It should be about as 
dense as sugar-house molasses or tar. When it has reached 
this condition, it may be withdrawn from the evaporating ves- 
sel, and be placed in tubs or casks to granulate. Crystals of 
sugar will begin to form generally in three or four days ; and 
sometimes nearly- the whole mass will granulate, leaving but 
little molasses to be drained. After it has solidified, it may be 
scooped out into conical bags, made of coarse, open cloth, or of 
canvas, which are to be hung over the receivers of molasses, 
and the drainage being much aided by warmth, it will be useful 
to keep the temperature of the room at 80° or 90 Fahr. After 
some days the sugar may be I'emoved from the bags, and will 
be found to be a good brown sugar. It may now be refined by 
dissolving it in hot water, adding to the solution some whites 
of eggs (say one egg for one hundred pounds of sugar) mixed 
with cold water ; after which the temperature is to be raised to 
the boiling point, and the syrup should be allowed to remain at 
that point for half an hour; then skim and filter to remove the 
coagulated albumen, and the impurities it has extracted from 
the sugar. By means of bone-black, such as is prepared for 
sugar refiners, the sugar may be decolored by adding an ounce 
to each gallon of the saccharine solution and boiling the whole 
together; then filter, and you will obtain a nearly colorless 
syrup. Evaporate this as before directed, briskly, to half the 
bulk, and then slowly until dense enough to crystallize, leaving 
the syrup as before in tubs or pans to granulate. The sugar 
will be of a very light brown color, and may now be clayed or 
whitened by the usual method, that is by putting it into cones 
and pouring a saturated solution of white sugar upon it so as 
to displace the molasses which will drop from the apex of the 
inverted cone. The sugar is now refined as loaf-sugar. The 
methods here described are the common and cheap ones, which 
any farmer can employ. It may be advantageous when ope- 
rations of considerable extent are contemplated to arrange a 
regular system of shallow evaporating pans for the concentra- 



657 

tion of the syrup, similar to those now used in Vermont for 
making maple sugar. It is now evident that no ordinary meth- 
ods can compete with those of a regular sugar refinery, where 
vacuum pans are employed, and evaporation is consequently 
carried on at a very low temperature. If the planter should 
raise sufficiently large crops to warrant the expense of such an 
apparatus on his farm, he would not fail to manufacture larger 
quantities of sugar, and to operate with perfect success in 
sugar-making; but this can be done only in the Southern, 
Middle, or Western States, where extensive farming is com, 
mon. Those who wish to have their brown sugar clarified can 
send it to some of the large refineries, where the operation 
can be completed and the sugar put up in the usual form of 
white loaves. 

"A very large proportion of our agricultural people will, 
doubtless, be satisfied with the production of a good syrup from 
this plant. They may obtain it by following the methods de- 
scribed in the first part of this paper, or they may omit the 
lime and make an agreeable but slightly acidulous sj-rup that 
will be of a lighter color than that which has been limed. This 
syrup is not liable to crystallize, owing to the presence of acid 
matter. The unripe canes can be employed for making mo- 
lasses and alcohol, but, as before stated, will yield true cane 
sugar." 

The majority of cultivators in the Southern States remitted 
all exertions to make sugar from the African or Chinese suirar- 
cane. Their yield of syrup, however, proved highly acceptable 
and remunerative. The plants are largely grown and tended 
measurably to remedy the scarcity of Louisiana sugars and 
molasses. 

Sorghum Molasses. — I copy from the Southern Cultivator the 
following concise and clear statement of the apparatus neces- 
sary, and of leading steps involved in the process of manufac- 
turing the syrup, by "W. Toney, of Eufaula, Ala.: 

The writer recommends cypress barrels or casks for the 
syrup. Yellow pine, however, answers the purpose just as well 
as cypress. 

The Manufacture of Sorgho or Southern Syrup. — My directions 
are for farmers and planters who have not, cannot, and would 
not get the elaborate apparatus of a sugar-house ; but there are 
42 



658 

essential fixtures, etc., which must be had, to wit: A mill, boilers, 
a bailing dipper of wood of five gallon capacity, with a long 
handle, a common dipper, and perforated ladles or skimmers. 

The Mill. — Get one mill for fifty acres, and two for a hundred 
acres or more; the size, eighteen inches in diameter and twen- 
ty-four long, for the cylinders. They should be of cast-iron ; 
the foundries will make them to order. 

The Boilers. — They should be proportioned in size and num- 
ber to the size of the crop ; say one for twenty acres, two or 
three for fifty acres, and five or six for one hundred acres, more 
or less. As many as five or six can be put in one "battery," 
and be operated by one furnace, running under all. The 
capaci Ly of the boilers can be greatly increased by fastening a 
wooden rim, eight or ten inches high around their tops. The 
brick work of the furnace should not reach higher on the inside 
than ynidway of the boiler, otherwise the syrup Avill he burnt by 
the fii-e. 

The cane should not be cut until ripe, which may be known 
by the seeds becoming of a puvplish black, and the stalks streaked 
with red on a yellowish ground. It is well to know and recol- 
lect that the canes, if left standing on the land where they 
grow, with all their leaves or fodder on them, will keep good 
until the crop is manufactured, if you will barely cut ofi" all the 
ripe seed. If j-ou pull the fodder the canes will dry up. 

The Gathering of the Canes. — Pull the fodder as you do corn 
fodder each day as you grind your canes. Cut the stalks close 
to the ground with sharp hoes, and haul them to the mill with 
the seed on, with a small crop, but cut seed off in the field if a 
large one, dry the panicles in the sun one day, and house. The 
seed will equal or exceed corn on the same land ; and contain- 
ing, by chemical analysis, sixty-six per cent, of starch, is about 
two-thirds the value of corn or rye for feeding stock, or, "Ao?*- 
resco refereiis " for making whiskey, and will command one dol- 
lar per bushel in the market. 

The juice, as pressed out by the mill, should run through 
cloth, fastened over the receiving tubs, to clear it of all trash. 

To Clarify the Juice. — Put the juice in the largest boiler, near 
filling it, and start a gentle fire under it, and put the juice to 
simmering, not boiling, and keep it so for about thirty minutes, 
until clarified. This is to be effected by administering some 



659 

alkali ii> solution. The best alkali for this purpose is the super 
carbonate of soda. Put one heaping teaspoonful in a pint of 
water, dissolve it, and pour it into the boiler of simmering 
juice, stir it up, and a violent effervescence takes place, rising 
four inches high, and finally settling in a thick, greenish scum 
all over the surface of the juice. Skim this off, and repeat the 
process every few minutes for about thirty minutes, more or 
less, but stop it as soon as (but not before) all effervescence 
ceases. This process will neutralize the sulphuric and phos- 
phoric ac?<is which abound in the Chinese Sugar Cane juice; 
and the Super. Carb. of Soda is the purest and best alkali for 
this purpose, as sodium the base of the peroxid is lighter than 
water. The pressure of the mill forces out with the juice a 
great deal of green feculant matter, which the light alkali taken 
hold of by the attraction of its acids, and brings to the surface 
a scum. These constant skimmings will soon give you a clear 
juice, capable of making a clear, thick, acidless syrup. 

The Louisiana and West India sugar planters use lime to 
purify the juice. It will neutralize the acids, but I doubt its 
purifying agency. The lime will readily unite with and neu- 
tralize the phosphoric and sulj)huric acids, but are not the com- 
pounds, the sulphate of lime, or " plaster of Paris," being one, 
too heavy to elevate the green, woody matter to the surface ? 
I am fortified in these views against the use of lime to clarify 
and purify syrup by Dr. Robert Batey, one of the ablest prac- 
tical agricultural chemists in Georgia. He says : " Z/ime an- 
swers no useful purpose, so far as syrup is concerned, save to 
neutralize the free acid which exists naturall}' in the cane. Ijime 
darkens the color, and detracts from the grateful flavor of the 
syrup." 

If soda cannot be had, have ready strong lye from green 
hickory ashes. This alkaline solution is the next best to that 
of soda, and apply it in the same way. After the juice is both 
neutralized of its free acids and purified of its fecula, which 
may be seen and known by the cessation of effervescence and the 
transparency of the juice, then boil down to the sj'^rup point. 
In the absence of instruments, which cannot now be had, he 
sure you boil enough. It is safer to err by boiling too much than 
not enough. As a general guide, you have to go by eyesight, 
and as but few in the South ever paid any attention to it here- 



660 

tofore, I will gWe certain general rules which should be ob- 
served : 

Ist. Boil down until the syrup is about one-fifth of the origi- 
nal quantity of juice, for it is true that five gallons of juice will 
average one gallon of syrup. 2d. Boil down until the syrup, 
being reduced to about one-fifth of its original quantity, will 
hang in flakes on the rim of the dipper, as you pour it out and 
suspend it in the air. 3d. Boil down until all ivater is expelled. 
This may be seen and known, when the syrup being reduced to 
about one-fifth its original quantity of juice, throws xi'p jets some 
six inches high ; this latter is the water escaping as steam ; con- 
tinue to boil until these jets cease; then strike off your syrup 
into tubs, and when cold, barrel it. 

The Barrels. — Put up your syrup in cypress barrels; white oak 
barrels will not hold syrup. Several large planters put up their 
syrup in poplar troughs. These will hold the syrup, but the 
oxygen of the atmosphere will certainly, as it has done, acidify 
it, as it thus has so much surface to act on. 

In conclusion, the Chinese Sugar millet is an industrial plant 
of great utility to the South, in these our times of trial, block- 
ade and war. Its fodder is equal to that of corn, its seed is 
equal to two-thirds of corn, and its sjn-up nearly equal to that 
of sugar-house molasses, yielding as many gallons of sj'^riip per 
acre as the land can pecks of corn. 

A cheap and good vinegar can be made from molasses or 
syrup: "To eight gallons of clear rain-water add three quarts 
of molasses; turn the mixture into a clean, tight cask, shake it 
well two or thi'ee times, and add three spoonsful of good yeast 
or the yeast cakes. Place the cask in a warm place, and in ten 
or fifteen days add a sheet of common wrapping paper, smeared 
with molasses, and torn into narrow strips, and you will have a 
good vinegar. The paper is necessary to form the 'mother' or 
life of the liquor." The scientific mode of making vinegar 
rapidly is to pass the liquor repeatedly through barrels filled 
with wood shavings; any sweet fruits, or roots, such as figs, 
beets, watermelon juice, etc., add to the bulk and quality ; see 
"5eto" and ''Ficus." Sweet substances added to vinegar will 
increase the quantity when exposed to the oxygen of the air 
for the acetous fermentation to be effected. This is promoted 
by heat. 



661 

In a communication from Mr. W. G. Simms (1863) he informs 
me that he made excellent Vinegar from both the May-apple 
and persimmon, thus : three bushels Ma^'-apple pulp, carefully 
crushed out of the sack, five gallons of molasses, three gallons 
of whiskey ; this with thirty -five gallons of water made forty 
gallons of fine red vinegar. The persimmon makes a " beau- 
tiful white wine vinegar," thus: three bushels ripe persimmons, 
three gallons of whiskey, twenty-seven gallons of water. 

The following was communicated by Mr. C. Orr, of Mis- 
sissippi : 

" I find from experiments I have made that the seed of the 
sugar-cane {So?'gho sucre) parched and ground as coffee, pre- 
pared in the usual way, but by being boiled a little longer, make 
an excellent substitute for coffee, and my own impression is that 
if it was brought into general use thousands would adopt its use 
instead of coffee, even if coff'ee should again be oflered at its 
former low prices, from the fact that all could grow and culti- 
vate it with so little labor, and from its approaching so near to 
the best Java." 

A palatable bread was made from the flour ground from the 
seeds of this plant, of a pinkish color, caused by the remnants 
of the pellicles or hulls of the seeds. By accounts from all parts 
of the countr3% this plant is universall}^ admitted to be a whole- 
some, nutritious and economical food for animals, all parts of it 
being greedily devoured in a green or dried state by horses, 
cattle, sheep, poultry and swine, without injurious eff'ects, the 
two latter fattening upon it equally well as upon corn. 

A New Value of Sorghum. — The inestimable value of this 
production, says the Lynchburg Virginian, is only beginning to 
be appreciated by our people. It may not be generally known 
that the grain or seed constitute an excellent and prolific bread- 
stuff'. A correspondent writing to us on the subject, from Pat- 
tonsburg, says: "I had fifty bushels of the seed which I raised 
last year, and a short time ago I took six bushels to the mill 
and got it ground into flour, and have been using it in my family 
for bread for several days. It makes really good loaf bread and 
light rolls. It is the red seed." 

Paper of various qualities has been manufactured from the 
fibrous parts of the stalk, some of which appears to be particu- 
larly fitted for special use, such as bank notes, wrapping paper, 
etc. 



662 

To show the progress that has been made since the first 
Edition of this volume was issued, I am enabled now to add 
what follows with refei-ence to what maj prove to be a great 
source of profit to our country : 

Prof. Wood, U. S. Disp., 12th Ed., 1866, states that "credit is 
due to Mr. J. S. Lovering, of Philadelphia, for first demonstra- 
ting in this country, that Sugar might be advantageously made 
from the Chinese Sugar-Cane; and his pamphlet on the subject 
may be found useful by those who purpose to engage practically 
in its manufacture." The credit for the practical application of 
this discovery has been claimed for Messrs. Waller & Hatcher, 
parties in Kentucky. 

The following has been published in 1866 : 

Sorghum Sugar. — Much importance is attributed by some of 
the Western papers to a new invention by which sorghum mo- 
lasses is almost instantly converted into sugar. The syrup is 
driven off bj' centrifugal power and granulation efi'eeted. The 
St. Louis Democrat speculates upon the results as follows : 
"This discovery must of course work a considerable change in 
the saccharine trade of the country. Wherever corn grows it 
may be made to grow, and farmers, through this simple process, 
will now be enabled to supply themselves with all they need in 
the way of sweets. As the machinery is by no means costly, 
we presume the improvement will generally be made available. 
Sugar must become cheaper, and its consumption greatly in- 
creased. 

" Fruits, large and small, which now, on account of the cost 
of the saccharine matter, are greatly wasted, will be preserved 
to a much greater extent, and healthy and invigorating food 
thereby secured. This invention may be considered as one of 
the greatest of the age. The forces employed are without cost, 
and require no education to govern and direct them. After the 
molasses is prepared in the usual way, which every one com- 
prehends, the turning of a crank completes the process, and 
consummates the entire work most perfectly. No heating is 
necessary, no evaporation or delicate manipulation, or chemical 
mixtures. The cold sorghum is converted in two or three 
minutes into refined sugar and molasses." 

I have seen very excellent brown sugar manufactured from 
this plant and presented to the Agricultural Convention of South 
Carolina, 1869, by Dr. Passmore, of Greenville, where works are 



663 

constructed for the purpose. A large establishment exists in 
Louisville, Ky., so that the difficulties which beset the enter- 
prise when the first Edition of this volume was printed are 
already being fast overcome. 

I have received (May, 1869) a letter in reply to one asking 
for information, from Dr. W. P. Passmore, the Agent at Green- 
ville. S. C, of the So. Sorgho Company of Louisville, Ky., ac- 
companied by circulars. He writes, "ours is a double process 
bath of defecation and evaporation, so as to extract all the 
feculent vegetable matter which heretofore gave syrup such a 
nauseous taste and prevented granulation. We use no chem- 
icals or nostrums, and the whole process is natural and me- 
chanical so as to be worked by any one." He is willing to give 
information ; and citizens of Greenville attest the excellence of 
the results both with respect to the syrup and sugar made at 
the works. 

The pamplets are from Lewis, Wilhelm & Johnson, projjri- 
etors, Louisville, Ky., to whom applications may be made, or to 
the agents in the several States, and contain the certificates of a 
large number of persons, members of Agricultural Societies and 
others who have personally inspected the works, and who 
testify to the success with which both syrup and sugar are 
made of excellent quality. The yield is often seven pounds of 
sugar to one gallon of syrup, or five pounds of dry sugar and 
about five pounds of molasses. 

The committee of the Lexington Farmer's Club report: "The 
process of manufacture is exceedingly simple, so much so that 
any family obtaining the right to do so may manufacture their 
own sugar at comparatively small cost." ''An acre of cane 
upon an average it is computed will jneld one hundred and fifty 
gallons of syrup ; so far as tested this will yield from five to 
seven pounds of sugar to the gallon, or from seven hundred and 
fifty to one thousand pounds of sugar to the acre, and a re- 
mainder of from one to two barrels of syrup. All the syrups 
made by this process will granulate more or less, the black 
Imphee, however, more than the white ; therefore, where sugar 
is the object, the black should be raised ; and if syrup, then the 
white." Barbaroux & Co., of Louisville, Ky., and Jno. Alex- 
ander, Congaree Iron Works, Columbia, S. C, manufacture 
" self skimming " Evaporators, Mills, etc., at a cost from one 



664 

hundred and fifty-five to one hundred and seventy-five dollars. 
Dr. Passmore makes the following statements in his pamphlet : 

The large quantities of Sugars and Syrups consumed yearly 
by South Carolina, together with the exorbitant prices these 
necessary articles now command, render their production and. 
manufacture vitally important to all, but more especially to the 
farmers and laborers. I, therefore, beg leave to call your atten- 
tion to the " Great Southern Process," which places within the 
reach of the humblest, for a small sum, the privilege of making 
his Sugar and Syrup, Heretofore South Carolina was unable 
to produce her own Sugar, because her land neither yielded the 
maple or tropical cane in sufficient abundance to justify the 
erection of suitable machinery to convert into Sugar the juices 
of either, but by this late discovery she can make Sugar in any 
quantity. Of the certainty of this pi^ocess none need have any 
doubts, for it has undergone the most thorough investigation 
and surmounted the most sceptical doubts. Its simplicity, too, 
is perfectly wonderful, for with ordinary hands a fifteen year 
old boy can operate it successfully. South Carolina pays annu- 
ally over $4,000,000 to foreign lands for her Sugars. 

The "Great Southern Process" is in very general use in the 
States of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky, and the Sugars 
and Syrups made by it compete successfully with other Sugars 
and Syrups. In consideration of the difficulties in Cuba, and 
the inevitable abolition of slavery throughout the world, Sugar 
prodtiction off'ers to all a fine opportunity for making money. 

Sugar. — The Sugar made by the process " is equal in color, 
brightness and sweetness to the best refined 'A' Sugar ever 
made." An acre of land yields from five hundred to one 
thousand pounds, besides leaving a residuum of fifty and one 
hundred and fifty gallons of golden Syrup respectively. Our 
Sugar will command in this market to-day from twenty-two to 
twenty-five cents. Our best article is obtained by using a cen- 
trifugal mill, and as they cost very little, I advise all to use 
them in preference to " press force," which requires bags made 
of the cloth used by cotton seed oil manufactories, and is much 
more tedious and ti'oublesome, in my opinion. An acre of land 
which yields five hundred pounds of Sugar, will pay the owner 
as follows : 



665 

500 lbs. Sugar, 20c $100 00 

50 gals. Sj-rup, 80c 40 00 

25 bushels Seed, 35c 8 75 



1148 75 
Of this amount it will not take more than thirty dollars to 
pay all expenses, and, therefore, the acre would net one hundred 
and eighteen dollai's and seventy-five cents. These figures may 
not hold good with all, but suppose you divide them by two 
and claim fifty-nine dollars and thirty-seven and a half cents as 
the net yield of an acre ; would not that satisfy you ? 

Syrup. — Our Syrups have been pronounced excellent, but as 
all knotfp- the Sorghum canes will make a good and merchanta- 
ble article of Syrup, I will only remark that by our process the 
•'old Chinese cane" makes a bright, beautiful and delicious 
Syrup, which rivals even hone}'. It commands readily from 
eighty cents to one dollar at our manufactory. 

Complete Machinery. — The Great Southern Cast-iron, Self- 
Skimming Coagulator is the great invention of the age in 
evaporating cane juice. The set is composed of three separate 
pans, arranged on two furnaces, at a less cost than any evapo- 
rator in use. They are flowing pans, without ledges, and will 
evaporate from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred 
and fifty gallons of Syrup per day. 

Complete Set of Evaporators $80 00 

Heavy Two-Horse Mill 80 00 

Two Iron Furnaces, complete 80 00 

Swing Pipes, Skimmers, complete 15 00 

Total Machinery $255 00 

On these evaporators the heat is more regular; you get a 
uniformity of Syrups. You get all the green scum on the first 
pan. The capacity of this set of pans is greater than any two 
evaporators in use. They are quite simple and easily worked 
by any one. 

The following instructions for the cultivation of Sorghum 
have been furnished by Messrs. Lewis, Wilhelm & Johnson, of 
Louisville, Ky.: 

We can only meet these objections and overcome these preju- 
dices by the assistance of farmers who are willing to give 



666 

Sorghum a fair trial. To do this they must begin by procuring 
and planting pure seed. This fact need not be urged upon those 
who have planted pure seed and made a gallon of fine Syrup to 
four or five gallons of green juice, while it takes from seven to 
ten gallons of juice of hybridized canes to make one gallon of 
very ordinary S3'rup. There is no other remedy for this falling 
off tlian the planting of pure, well-matured seed. In order to 
procure good seed, the cane must be carefully cultivated for the 
seed alone and not for the Syrup, by allowing the seed to ma- 
ture and dry on the stalk in the field. Last summer we had 
the seed cultivated bj' careful farmers. We are prepared to fill 
ordei's for pure seed at cost price. We do this, ho])ing to re- 
move the prejudices, and make the cultivation of Sorghum a 
success. We advise t'armei'S to avoid, as much as possible, black, 
mucky soils; if planted upon bottom lands at all, it should be 
dry, sandy soil. Very rich soil of any kind is not favorable to 
the production of light Sjanips. Good land, not foul with weeds, 
should bo planted in drills. As much of the cane should be 
allowed to stand as the ground will bear. Of this farmers must 
judge for themselves. A large overgrown stalk is not the best 
for Syrup or Sugar, but the medium, or even small stalks, are 
better than the large, rank cane often seen on rich soil. If the 
soil is not good, or is foul, the seed should be planted in hills. 
Sorghum while growing requires very close attention until it is 
well started, and then it will leave weeds and everytbig else in 
the back-ground. The seed should be prepared first by clean- 
ing and then by pouring warm water over it until covered two 
or three inches in the vessel. If well stirred the light chaffy 
seeds will rise to the surface, which should be removed. The 
vessel should then be set in a warm place until the hull of the 
seed shows a disposition to burst, then the seed should be 
spread out until nearly dry, and in this condition should be 
placed in the ground. If this plan is strictly observed every 
seed will grow. If planted in drills one seed in a hill is sufll- 
cient. If planted in hills two to five seed are all that is needed. 
The ground should be well pulverized. The best way is to 
throw two furrows together and plant the seed on the ridge. It 
should be covered as lightly as possible, and the cane will ap- 
pear in a few da^'s. It will require careful nursing for a short 
time, but it will soon become strong and will overcome all ob- 



667 

stacles. It should not be "thinned" too much. Let as much 
grow as the ground will support. The best varieties of cane 
for Sj^rup arc the old-fashioned Chinese, or Black Top, and the 
Hed Top, or Liberian cane. The most successful for producing 
Sugar, 80 far as j'^et demonstrated, is the Ooraceanna, or Black 
Imphee, or African variety. 

LOUISIANA SUGAR-CANE, {Saccharum officinarum,) cul- 
tivated in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana; 
Its value is well known. The juice is said to be an antidote for 
poisoning by arsenic, and it might be temporarily substituted 
for the hydrated sesquioxidc of iron. 

In Agricultural Reports of the Patent Office, 1855, p. 268, 
there fB a paper on the " Failure of the Sugar-Cane in Louisiana — 
proposed plan for restoration," etc. A brief history of the origin 
of the cane is given, and the varietes usually planted. The in- 
troduction of new plants by cuttings from British Guiana, or 
Venezuela, is advised, and the practice of rotation with certain 
specified plants, viz : wheat, the Chinese yam, the bitter and 
sweet cassada, {Jatropha,) and other fusiform roots, as well as 
the peanut, Palma Christi, Bene, etc. 

For sugar from canes, whether Chinese or African, consult 
DeBow's Review, and the Patent Office Reports, 1848, pp. 281 
and 512, for long articles with plans, drawings, and a full de- 
scription ; also Olcott's work on the Imphee and Sorgho, with 
methods of grinding, crystallizing, etc., and translations from 
the French. In these all the processes are described for prepa- 
ration of S3'rup, molasses, best varieties of cane, mode of 
culture, etc., etc. See, also, Gov. Hammond's contributions and 
experiments in "South Carolina Agriculturist," published by 
Mr. A. G. Summer, Columbia, S. C, 1856. These papers are 
too long to admit of their introduction here, and I content my- 
self with directing the inquirer to the best sources of informa- 
tion. I have seen very fair specimens of sugar made by Mr. 
Jno. Townsend, from canes growing on Edisto Island, S. C. 
They are sold in the Southern cities as an article of food. The 
juice is nutritious and is thought to be beneficial to children in 
preventing worms. Wax is obtained from the surface of the 
cane by scraping. See Olcott's work for account of its collec- 
tion in Algeria. 

CAROLINA RICE. (Oryza sativa.) Cultivated extensively 



668 

in the lower portion of South Carolina and Georgia, on the 
Cooper, Pee Dee, Savannah, Santee and other rivers. A vai'iety 
called "high land Eice" is also planted. See paper on the mode 
of culture in South Carolina, by Gov. R. F. W. Allston, in P. O. 
Rep., 1854; also article " Rice" Rural Cyc. 

U. S. Disp. 1268. The " seeds, being wholly free from laxative 
power, are adapted to cases of weak bowels, in which there is a 
strong tendency to diarrhoea." The decoction of rice water is 
very applicable, as a nutritive drink, to fevers, and inflammatory 
affections of the stomach, lungs and kidnej^s. This plant is 
well known and largely used as an article of food, and for ex- 
portation. See authors for references. Carolina Rice was found 
by Bracconnol to contain 85.07 per cent, of starch, 3.60 gluten, 
0.71 gum, 0.29 uncrystallizable sugar, 0.13 of fixed oil, 4.80, veg. 
fibre, 5.00 of water, and 0.40 of saline substances. 

Dr. Wood (U. S. Disp.) discredits the opinion, expressed by 
some, that a rice diet produces injurious effects on the eyes — 
the condition of myopia, for instance. During a residence of 
some years in both sections of South Carolina, my observations 
have been directed toward this point with special attention. I 
can safely assert that in the lower country of this State, where 
rice has long been a favorite article of food — the whites par- 
taking of it every day, and in some form at almost every meal — 
the number of near-sighted individuals bears a proportion of 
at least ten to one over those residing in the upper districts, 
where it is well known that its use has only lately been gen- 
erall}' introduced. So far as my experience goes, as well as 
that of many others, of whom inquiries have been made, 
scarcely an example can be found of it in the latter portion of 
the State, which is distinguished from the other by pretty 
accurately defined limits. If such a relation does exist between 
the quality of the ingesta and the greater convexity of the 
cornea, which further investigation and comparison must con- 
firm or reject, it is exceedingly curious, there being as yet not 
even a hypothesis accounting for the modus operandi. It has 
also been indistinctly assumed to depend upon a long course of 
luxurious living in the ancestors. Any objections to the first 
ground, founded on the assertion that the negroes in the lower 
countr}' are not affected in this way, may be anticipated by the 
reply that we seldom or never know when there is among them 



669 

such defect in the power of vision ; and besides, they are in fact 
not generally furnished with rice as an article of food. The 
condition of things in Hindostan and China might throw some 
light OD this question. I am informed by a gentleman in whose 
statements I put implicit confidence that rats infesting a 
granary wnere rice was stored were always found to be blind! 

An excellent bread is made of rice flour. "A quart of rice 
flour is made into a stiff pap by wetting it with warm water, 
not so hot as to make it lump ; when well wet add boiling 
water, as much as two or three quarts; stir it continually until 
it boils, then add one pint of milk ; when cool enough to avoid 
scalding the yeast, add half a pint of good yeast and as much 
wheat* flour as will make it of a proper consistency for bread; 
put it to raise ; when suflSciently risen it will be necessary to 
add a little more wheat flour. If baked too soft the loaves will 
be hollow. The bread must stand half an hour or more in a 
warm place after it is put in the baking pans, and it will rise 
again almost as much as it did at first. The same mixture, 
rather thinner, baked in muffin rings makes an excellent bread." 
(Southern Agriculturist.) On the plantations at the South 
much use is made of rice in this and other ways, and I inserted 
the recipe among our other " resources " in times of war and 
blockade. 

Parched rice has been used as one of the substitutes for coffee, 
(see potato. Convolvulus.) A correspondent says that corn and 
rice mixed in equal parts, ground and boiled, make an excellent 
substitute for coffee. As the grain of corn is harder than that 
of rice it needs more browning, and should be exposed to the 
heat a few moments before the rice is put in. The writer 
claims that "the beverage is equal to the best coffee!" Kice 
starch prepared in the same way as that from corn and the 
potato is said to give "lawns and colored articles a look of new- 
ness unsurpassed." 

A good deal of Kice is cultivated throughout the South in the 
inland swamps which are cleared and drained for the purpose. 
The rice is planted in drills or in rows from two to throe feet 
apart and kept free of grass. The variety called Highland Eice 
will flourish on high lands removed from swamps, even those 
which are sandy and containing little moisture. An account of 
Kice Culture and preparation, written by Mr. A. L. Taveau, of 
S. C, is published in the P. O. Kep. for 1867. 



fi70 

The late Gov. E. F. W. Allston, himself a successful cultivator 
of rice on the Waccamaw River, in his '' Essay on the seacoast 
crops, read before the Agricult. Assoc, of the Planting States," 
which was also in part reprinted in the P. O. Rep. for 1854 and 
in DeBow's Review, says of Rice Culture : 

Cultivation of Rice. — The numerous islands of which this 
region is composed, are all enclosed (leaving an outside margin 
twenty to thirty feet wide) by dams high enough and strong 
to resist the highest spring-tides. The entire area is divided 
into "squares" or fields, containing twelve to twenty acres 
each, by a series of check-banks, made up by excavating all 
around the field, at a distance of eighteen feet from the centre 
of the line on which the bank is to be located, a ditch some 
six to eight feet wide by five feet deep. 

The fields are further prepared for cultivation by excavating 
from ditch to ditch, in one direction, a number of smaller dit^-hes 
called "quarter drains," fifteen to eighteen inches wide and 
three feet deep, located parallel to each other, at the distance 
of seventy-five, or fifty, or thirty-seven and a half feet apart, 
as may be required by the nature of the land and the pitch of 
tide in which it is found. Across the frontier bank, and in a 
line with one of the main ditches, a deep cut is made, in which 
is placed and covered up, a (wooden culvert twenty feet long 
and open four feet by two) " trunk," furnished at both ends 
with a sluice-gate, for either admitting the tide over the field, 
or withdrawing it as may be desired. 

Thus has the tide-swamp been subdued and converted into 
flourishing fields, inviting diligent husbandry. 

Sailing up one of those fruitful rivers, the traveller may now 
behold many miles of serpentine embankment, (continuous save 
where a water thoroughfare occurs,) enclosing thousands of 
acres, checked into fields, which bear in waving luxuriance 
crops of this translucent grain. Rough Rice as it comes from 
the field is translucent in a degree sufiicient for an experienced 
eye, when holding a head or sheaf of Rice up toward the sun, 
to detect the red-rice, which is opaque. 

Rice, for which we are indebted to the Island of Madagascar, 
was introduced into Carolina and America at once, toward the 
close of the seventeeth century. A few grains were sown in the 
garden of Landgrave Smith, the site of which is now entirely 



671 

covered by houses and modern improvements, in the City of 
Charleston. Those few grains produced many ears, which being 
disseminated for seed, succeeded in adaptation to the climate; 
and the low country of South Carolina since, has become the 
centre of the rice-growing region. The first seed was white, 
such as is grown in China and Guiana to this day, and such as 
may still be seen produced on the uplands and inlands of 
America. 

Some time before the Eevolutionary war, the "gold seed" 
Eice was introduced, which, owing to its superiority, soon en- 
tirely superseded the white. It is now the rice of commerce, 
and the only grain refei'red to herein, when rice is mentioned, 
withoift being distinguished by some peculiar name, or char- 
acteristic. 

This " gold seed " has undergone improvement in latter years. 
Hence has resulted the production of a variety longer in the 
grain, but not perceptibly larger otherwise, which is highly 
esteemed by foreign consumers, when it is produced in perfec- 
tion, commanding the highest prices in market. It is called 
"long grain" Rice, and was obtained from the sowing of part of 
a single head on the plantation of the late Hon. Joshua Jno. 
Ward, of Waccamaw. 

The white Kice of the present day measures three-eighths of 
an inch in length, the same in circumferance around its shorter 
axis, the grain being in shape an irregular elipsoid, and in 
weight numbers nine hundred and sixty grains to the ounce, 
(Troy.) The gold seed, the Eice of commerce, measures three- 
eighths of an inch in length, the same in circumference, and in 
weight numbers eight hundred and ninety-six grains to the 
ounce. The long grain Eice measures five-twelfths of an inch 
in length, three-eighths of an inch in circumference, and in 
weight numbers eight hundred and forty grains to the ounce. 

The system of culture for one is suitable for any of these 
varieties. The first, it is said, will bear upland culture better. 
The last (long grain) it is supposed, will bear water better. It 
does not tiller as much, shoots up a taller stock and longer 
head, but does not bear as many grains to the head as the other, 
and more commonly approved kind of gold seed. 

We begin the preparation for a new crop by (cleaning out 
the ditches every third year; the drains are cleaned out every 



672 

year after plowing) plowing the land as soon after the harvest 
as the fields can be gleaned, and the scattered rice left on the 
surface be sprouted. The stubble is turned under by running a 
deep furrow, say eight inches. This may be continued uotil 
the end of Januar3\ The sods should have the benefit of the 
entire winter frosts, if possible, the influence of which disin- 
tegrates and prepares them duly for the levelling. Both plow- 
ing and harrowing are performed, ordinaiily, by oxen — two 
yoke being required if we go deeper than six to eight inches ; 
and two yoke get on badly in the swamp. The Tuscany breed 
furnishes the best oxen for our climate. 

In March, or when about preparing to plant, the harrows will 
be made to pass over the plowed ground. After deep plowing 
the "plow turns" should be broken up with the spade, sinking 
the spade as deep as the plow has gone, say eight inches ; an 
able-bodied man will break up in this way, and thoroughly, a 
surface of fifteen hundred square feet in a day. The field should 
be well drained however. The hoe follows to cut up and break 
the remaining clods and level the surface. The more the soil 
is comminuted, and the surface brought to a common level, the 
better. The trenchers then come in with hoes made for the 
purpose, and trace out with great accuracy the drills in which 
to sow the seed fourteen, thirteen or twelve inches apart from 
centre to centre. They will average (some drawing stake-rows 
and others filling up the panels) three-quarters of an acre to the 
hand in a day's work. When the land is new the trench should 
be broad, say five inches, and the rice may be scattered in the 
trench ; but for old land, and most of rice land is now old, 
narrow trenching hoes are preferred, opening a drill three 
inches wide. Infected with grass-seed and volunteer rice, old 
land requires close hoeing, and every seed that vegetates out- 
side the drill is cut up and destroyed. 

The field now in high tilth, and resembling somewhat a gar- 
den spot, is ready for the seed. The sowers with great care, 
yet with wonderful facility and precision, string the seed in the 
drills, putting two and a half or two and a quarter bushels to 
the acre. The labor of sowing depends so much upon the state 
of the weather, whether windy, or moist, or otherwise, it is 
better not to require any given task. Generally, each woman 
will accomplish two or three tasks and do it well — it should 



673 

never be done otherwise, for the seed cannot be recovered if 
too thick, nor if too thin, can the sowing be repeated without 
needless waste and increased irregularity. 

The best hands are chosen to sow Rice. \Yhen Rice is to 
be covered with water, without a previous covering of earth, 
the seed must first be prepared by rolling it in clayed water. 
There are many planters who still prefer the old. system, cover- 
ing the seed with earth . In this case, after the seed is cov- 
ered, the water is taken on the field for five or six days to 
sprout the grain, when it is drawn ofi", and is returned only 
when the sprout, "in the needle state," is seen fairly above 
ground. This, " the point flow," is held about four days and 
then drftwn off; after which the culture is the same as above 
described throughout. The sowing done, water is forthwith 
admitted, (two tides are better than one,} and the field remains 
covered until the sprout becomes green and begins to fork. The 
water must then be withdrawn, else the plants will be forced to 
the surface by any slight agitation and float away from their 
position. The reasoning for the successful substitution of a 
covering of water for a covering of earth in planting Rice, and 
also for the requisition of sound and perfectly full seed, will be 
found in the law of germination and growth. 

Prof Johnston thus expresses it : " When a seed is committed 
to the earth, if the warmth and moisture are favorable it be- 
gins to sprout. It pushes a shoot upwards, it thrusts a root 
downwards ; but until the leaf expands and the root has fairly 
entered the soil, the young plant derives no nourishment other 
than water, either from the earth or from the air. It lives on 
the starch and gluten contained in the seed." 

In the case of Rice covered with water, the first shoot is 
radical and tends downwards, but it does not take root until 
the air is admitted to the leaf, the lungs of the plant, then it 
becomes rooted instantly. If the water be not reduced when 
the sprout becomes green, (until the sprout is green it cannot 
bear the rays of the sun,) the exjaandiug of the leaf in the 
water will draw up the unfixed root and the whole will rise and 
float upon the surface. 

The water, after floating the trash to the banks, should at no 
time be over deep, lest the process of germination be delayed, 
43 



674 

and with any imperfect or defective grains be prevented alto- 
gether. 

In Georgia, on one of Dr. Daniels' plantations near Savannah, 
the Italian method has been pursued with a good degree of 
success, namely: The seed is first sprouted, then sown broad- 
cast over the field and covered up by the harrow, which, being 
reversed, is drawn over the surface. The culture there is with 
water chiefly. 

In twenty days after, or thereabouts, the Eice is hoed and 
flowed deep, the water over-topping the plant for two or three 
days, in order to destroy the young grass just springing up 
among the plants, and also the insects that may have lodged 
upon the blades, or which may have been generated among the 
stumps or roots, or stubble. At the end of two or three days 
the water is slacked down to about half the height of the plant, 
now somewhat stretched. At this depth it is held until the 
plants grow strong enough to stand erect, and will admit the 
laborers to walk between the trenches and pull out the long 
grass which shows itself, and which will now 3'ield to very slight 
effort. If any rushes appear they will now be plucked up by 
the root and borne out to the banks. 

Two days after this weeding, the long water will gradually 
be drawn off. In Georgia, and elsewhere perhaps, this is called 
the " stretch flow." In that State, as well as in some parts of 
Carolina, the practice is common to continue the point flow 
into the " stretch " or long flow, without drawing the water 
until the latter be over. This free use of water, as it may be 
made to substitute one hoeing, may enable the planter to cul- 
tivate seven or eight acres to the hand, instead of five and six 
as of old. But, the proprietor who suffers this method to be 
practiced in his culture, year by year, if his young crop be not 
often troubled b}' the maggot or root-worm, will probably find 
his land so polluted with water grasses after several years, and 
80 packed as to require rest and change of system to ameliorate 
it. A succeeding tide will be taken in and let off immediately, 
in order to wash out the ditches. Two men, furnished, each 
with a long handled rake of curved iron teeth, are put to rake 
from the ditches all the water-growth which impedes the 
draining, placing it on the side of the bank. In eight days (the 



675 

land by that time should be dry) the smaller hoes are used, and 
the soil is stirred as deep as it can be with them. The hoe now 
used has been reduced, latterly, to four inches in breadth. The 
plant just recovering from the effects of long water, and taking 
a dry growth, is putting forth new green blades and fresh roots, 
which, not long enough yet to be interfered with by the deep 
hoeing, very soon yield to the grateful influence of the air ad- 
mitted, shoot vigorously into the loosened earth, and nourish a 
" good stalk." 

In the course of fifteen or eighteen days, the field is hoed 
again and weeded. This last hoeing is also done with the small 
hoes, but very lightly, to avoid disturbing the roots which are 
now es?lended nearly midway between the trenches. As the 
plant is now beginning to joint, the laborers will step about 
with care, for if one be broken at the joint it cannot be restored. 
A day or two after this third hoeing, the water is put on again, 
as deep as the last long flow, and is gradually increased in depth 
after the rice-heads have fairly shot out. 

This is called the " lay-by " flow. Some planters have this flow 
very shallow, insisting that a deep flow breeds worms to the 
injuiy of the plant before it has shot out, in which case the only 
remedy is to dry. Up to the time of this flow, is about ninety 
days for Rice sown the first week in April. After this, to the 
period of maturity is from sixty to seventy days, during which 
the water is often changed, and kept fresh, but is never entirely 
withdrawn, until the grain be ripe for the harvest. The im- 
proved and best means of keeping the water fresh is to furnish 
the field with two trunks — one to admit fresh water at every 
flood-tide, and the other to void it with the ebb, so that tAvice in 
twenty-four hours there is obtained a slight current throuo-h 
the field. This, besides lessening the infection of the atmos- 
phere (miasmata) by stagnant water, keeps the roots of the 
plant cool and healthy, though it postpones the ripening of the 
Rice some five or eight days. Meantime, should any grass have 
escaped the previous hoeings and weedings, it will show its 
crest before the Rice matures and be plucked up by the roots. 
All white Rice will be stripped off by hand. 

Harvest. — And now the grain is ripe for the sickle. The Rice 
is cut a day before you will say it is fully ripe. For Rice sown 
April first, the harvest begins usually from the first to the tenth 



676 

of September. The water is drawn off over night. Soon after 
the rising of a bright autumn sun, the reapers are seen amid the 
thick hanging grain, shoulder-high, mowing it down with the 
old fashioned sickle. Before the dew is all gone, the Rice is 
laid prostrate, even and orderly, across the porous stubble. The 
next day, when quite dry of dew, it is tied up in sheaves, and 
borne away to the threshing yard, where it is well stacked 
before the night dew falls heavy. This last heavy but gleeful 
labor completes the field culture of the Rice plant. When the 
stack has undergone its curing heat, and become cool again, the 
Rice is threshed out by one of Emmons' Patent Machines and 
sent to the pounding mill to be cleaned. The mill performs in- 
geniously enough the finishing process, thus : By steam power, 
the rough rice is taken out of the vessel which freights it, up to 
the attic of the building — thence through the sand-screen to a 
pair of (five feet wide) heavy stones, which grind off the husk — 
thence into large wooden mortars, in which it is pounded by 
large iron-shod pestles, (weighing two hundred and fifty to 
three hundred and fifty pounds,) for the space of some two 
hours, more or less. 

The Rice, now pounded, is once more elevated into the attic, 
where it descends through a rolling-screen, to separate whole 
grains from the broken, and flour fi-om both ; and also through 
wind-fans, to a vertical brushing screen, revolving rapidly, 
which polishes the flinty grain, and delivers it fully prepared, 
into the bai'rel or tierce, which is to convey it to market. The 
barrel is made by coopers attached to the mill, each one dresses 
his stuff and makes three barrels a day. He is paid twenty- 
five cents for each barrel made over his number. When the 
stuff is dressed previously, five barrels, and even more may be 
made. The staves are of yellow pine, forty inches in length ; 
the heading of inch plank is made twenty-four inches in diame- 
ter. The barrel should contain at least six hundred pounds 
net. 

There were several Machines for dressing staves, exhibited 
at the World's Fair in New York. Hawkins' I saw in opera- 
tion, and admired. 

In Rice-planting the practice of manuring is of recent origin, 
excepting of course that best of all dressings, to which we are 
indebted for increment of the soil itself, the natural deposit. 



677 

namely, of sediment when the rivers overflow their banks, or 
silt from seaward, when the turbid waters, admitted into the 
fields, are held there, undisturbed for days. A good time to 
appl}^ riee-flour to Eice, is to scatter it between the trenches 
immediately after the long flow. If the dressing be too heavy, 
the Rice, made too luxuriant, will lodge, and waste in the har- 
vest. In applying liine, (one hundred bushels is safe, if there 
be plenty of stubble, or peaty fibre, or a thick native growth,) 
time should be given for it to act chemically and to become in- 
corporated with the soil, before water is put on the land. Rice- 
straw if listed into the fallow gi'ound, and well covered up with 
a bed of earth, will be decomposed by planting time, and make 
a fine iflanure, improving the crop in both quantity and quality. 

Rice-chaff, spread three or four inches thick over the fallow 
ground, and plowed in, will produce a like effect in course of 
time. It is not as readily decomposed as the straw, and may 
disappoint early expectation. Rice-flour is a still better, more 
stimulating dressing, but not so lasting in its effects. It may 
be applied (thirty bushels to the acre) broadcast, and plowed 
in before planting, or it may be scattered between the trenches 
after the long water, as above described. 

CANADA RICE; MINNESOTA RICE; WILD RICE; 
WATER OATS, (Zizania aquatica.) Deep marshes and ponds; 
Florida and northward. Chap. 

This plant was experimented with by Sir Joseph Banks, by 
removing it from Canada to England in 1791. At first it could 
scarcely endure the climate, but gradually improved and be- 
came thoroughly acclimated. It became " in fourteen genera- 
tions as strong and as vigorous as our indigenous plant." " It 
abounds in all the shallow streams of North America, feeds 
immense flocks of wild swans and other water-fowl, contributes 
largely to the support of the wandering tribes of Indians, and 
seems destined, in the opinion of Pinkerton, to become the 
bread-corn of the North. This grain has become acclimated in 
Middlesex, producing bland, farinaceous seeds, which afford a 
very good meal." Wilson's Rural Cyc. p. 30, art. "Acclima- 
tion." It would perhaps reward the trouble to experiment 
with this plant at the South, in oi'der by cultivation to procure 
a new cereal. Consult, also, Dr. Macculloch on the Naturaliza- 
tion of Plants, Quarterl}^ Journal of Science, vols, xxi and xxvi. 
Mills states in his Statistics of S. C. that it is cut for fodder. 



678 

Extravagant accounts were given of this plant some years 
since. Dr. J. Bachman considered it about as good as oats, 
although somewhat more saccharine. He says the grains may 
be ground up together as a substitute for Graham flour. 

JJeersia oryzoides, Swartz. Florida; Columbia; St. John's. 

This grass has been cultivated several years by Dr. S. Stuart 
at his summer residence near Pendleton. He expresses himself 
much pleased with it. It affords several cuttings through the 
season, and seeds late. Gibbes' Catalogue of Plants, Columbia, 
S. C. 

WIPE GEASS, (Aristida, or Sporobolns.) Mr. Simms writes 
mc that bonnets are made of this grass, 1863; matting and cur- 
tains may also be wrought with it and dyed. 

WALTEE'S GEASS, {Trichodium perennans, Ell. Agrostis 
perennans, Gray.) Swamps and river banks ; Florida ; St. 
John's Parish, S. C. 

This was the grass which was cultivated by Mr. Walter and 
Mr. Eraser, who published a plate and description of it for the 
purpose of procuring subscribers in England and this country — 
the seeds to be furnished at two guineas a quart when five hun- 
dred subscribers should have been obtained. Mr. Thos. "Walter, 
the author of the Flora Caroliniana, who resided on the Santee, 
thus speaks of it under his Cornucopia perennans : " Gramen 
undique Iceve, saccharinum, cestatem sustinens, in hyeme vigens, 
radicibus geniculisque se cito propagans. Donum incestimable, con- 
ditore ad hanc diem reservatum, hoc oivum, me instrumente, locu- 
pletaruni!" Mr. Elliott says of it that "it is a fine, delicate 
winter grass, but never appears to grow vigorously enough for 
the scythe, nor will it bear, except in shaded or damp soils, the 
heat of summer." See notes to L. E. Gibbes' "Catalogue." 

WHITE EUSH; EUSH-LIKE SPAETINA, (Spartina juncea, 
Schreber, Ell. Sk. Limnetis of some Bot.) Grows in the salt 
water marshes; vicinity of Charleston; often immersed. Fl. 
August. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. vi, 655. The flowers are purgative. The 
oil from the young branches is caustic, and is employed against 
ring-worm, and in cutaneous eruptions generally. The leaves 
are pungent. " It has been proposed as a cultivated field plant 
for yielding fibre, and it would produce well on poor, silicious 
soils, which are unfit for flax or corn. Its manufactured fibre 



679 

IS clear, and as strong and soft as that of flax, bat is deficient 
in length. The plant is of small value for forage." Rural Cyc. 

SALT MAHSH GRASS, (Sparfina glabra, Muhl. Cat.) Charles- 
ton ; Newbern. 

Ell. Bot. 96. This plant is greedily eaten by horses and 
cattle ; and though it affords a good pasturage for out-door 
stock, yet it is remarkable for a strong, rancid and peculiar 
smell, affecting the breath, the milk, butter and even the flesh 
of animals that feed upon it. During the blockade of Charles- 
ton it served as an important substitute for Northern hay; 
it is collected daily by negroes and sold in the streets ; it is 
also valued as a manure. 

REBD BENT-GRASS, (Ammophila arenaria, Calamagrostis.) 
North Carolina ; seashore. 

This plant (^Arundo arenaria) is the most valuable for planting 
on banks and on the seashore to prevent the encroachment of 
the water. It is planted in Holland for this purpose, and in 
Britain it is protected from destruction by law, on account of 
its gi'eat utility in enabling the sand to resist the action of 
wind and tide. Elymus arenarius is also protected in Scotland. 
Wilson. 

OAT, {Avena sativa.) Cultivated in the Southern States. 

See authors. Used as a food for horses. A gruel may be 
made of it, which is somewhat laxative, and which is employed 
in fevers. 

WHEAT, (Triticum.) Extensively cultivated in the upper 
districts throughout the Southern States. 

The best wheat for making bread is that containing the most 
gluten. That called Canada wheat in the United States has 
the highest rank ; so Dr. Beck states in a paper on the subject 
of the value of breadstuff's, P. O. Reports on Agriculture. And 
yet Chaptal asserts that the wheat of southern countries con- 
tains more gluten than that of northern. <:!haptal says that 
the next grains in order, yielding gluten, are barley, rye and 
oats. Gluten may be extracted, says Chaptal, from acorns, 
chestnuts, horse-chestnuts, apples, quinces, wheat, barley, rye, 
peas and beans ; from the leaves of the cabbage, cress, hemlock, 
lovage and saffron ; from the berries of the elder, the juice of 
the grape, etc. It is, however, contained in the greatest quan- 
tity in the grain of wheat, and it is from this that it is usually 
procured. 



680 

In order to extract gluten the flour of wheat must be kneaded 
into a paste with water; this paste must be afterward worked 
by the hand under a stream of water from a spout till the liquid 
flows off" clear ; the starch, sugar, and all the other principles 
contained in wheat which are soluble in water, are thus carried 
off, and there remains in the hands only a soft, elastic, glutin- 
ous, ductile, semi-transparent substance, adhering to the fingers 
after it has lost its moisture, and exhaling an animal odor; this 
substance is called gluten, or the vegeto-animal principle. There 
are some very nutritive vegetables, the autiior adds, in which 
the starch instead of being combined with gluten, as it is in the 
bread-corns, is united with mucilage ; this is the case with peas, 
beans and potatoes. The flour of these will not alone make 
bread, but it is frequently used in years of scarcity, mixed with 
that of wheat to increase the quantity of bread. It is not 
unusual in the domestic economy of our plantations to have 
excellent bread by combining the sweet potato (^Convolvulus) 
with wheat flour. An agreeable, sweet taste is thus imparted 
to the bread. The flour of rice, which may be ground in an 
ordinary coffee mill, is also used in the same way. 

The wheat used in making Starch in England is either entire 
or coarsely bruised, and is steeped in cold water till it swells 
and yields by pressure a milky juice ; it is then subjected to 
pressure in coarse bags placed in vats filled with water. When 
all the milky juice is expressed the bags are removed, the fecula 
gradually subsides to the bottom, and the supernatant liquid 
soon ferments and suffers a resolution of the principles dissolved 
in it into alcohol and acetic acid. The whole, after fermenta- 
tion, is poured into tubs called frames, and after the fecula sub- 
sides in these, the supernatant liquid is poured off — the upper 
part of the sediment, being dirty and discolored, is scraped off — 
and the rest of the sediment, constituting the main bulk and 
purest portion of -the fecula, is repeatedly well washed, pressed 
in cloths, and dried by a gentle heat ; during the process of 
drying it so contracts as to form itself into the somewhat regu- 
lar, small, six-sided columns in which it is sold in the shops. 
In this comparatively pure state it is of course less suited as 
an aliment than sago, arrowroot, etc. Wilson's Eural Cyc. 
Consult, also, lire's Die. Arts. In South Carolina wheat flour 
starch is preferred to that procured from the potato. Rice 
makes an excellent starch. Parched wheat, rye and corn have 



681 

been used, as was said, as substitutes for coffee. Tbe following 
is offered by a correspondent : 

" The best Substitute for Coffee. — Take rye, boil it, but not so 
mucb as to burst the grain, then dry it either in the sun, on a 
stove, or a kiln, after which it is ready for parching, to be used 
like the real bean. Prepared in this manner it can hardly be 
distinguished from the genuine coffee. The rye when boiled 
and dried will keep for any length of time, and consequently 
can be done at some convenient moment, so as to have it ready 
whenever wanted for parching." During the war it was more 
extensively employed as a substitute for coffee than any other 
matei'ial. See '' Okra." 

Wheat straw when burned yields a large amount of alkali, 
and is useful for making soap. 

Ctenium Americanum, Spreng. Monocern aromatica. Ell. Low 
pine barrens; Florida to North Carolina. 

The root of this grass is aromatic and highly pungent. 

FLOATING SWEET MEADOW-GRASS; WATER FES- 
CUB, {Glyceria Jiuitatis, Poaof Ell. Sk. Festuca of lAnn.) Grows 
in the upper disti'icts ; Newbern. Fl. Aug. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. iii, 307. It furnishes a species of manna. 
Wilson states that it will yield a considerable produce even on 
common undrained land. It constitutes a valuable forage for 
animals. Its seeds form a common and enriching food for fresh 
water fish, for aquatic fowl, and when gathered and dried they 
constitute the manna-croup of the shops, and are extensively 
used as an agreeable and highly nutritious material for soups 
and gruels. The seeds are shaken out over pieces of cloth. 
Rural Cyc. 

TRUE BLUB GRASS, (Poa compressa, L., and P. pratensis of 
others.) Both good grasses; growing in Florida, and throughout 
the Southern States. 

The True Bine is considered, says Dr. Lee, Editor of the South- 
ern Field and Fireeide, March 8, 1862, as the plant the very " best 
adapted to stop washing and store up fertilizers in their growth, 
for feeding stock, and yielding rich manure." It does not re- 
quire replanting, and grows well on poor granite hills. It pre- 
vents all abrasion of the turf by the heaviest rains. It is also 
not difficult to subdue with the plow. "It makes a good sod 
and very fertilizing turf, and thus fattens the land, and fattens 



682 

all kinds of farm stock." These perennial grasses enrich the 
land more than forest trees, because " they approximate grain 
and flesh in their chemical composition more than forest leaves. 
Cattle that will starve on oak and pine leaves will wax fat on 
blue grass." See, also, " Southern Homestead." Consult Dr. 
Lee's editorials in Southern Field and Fireside, 1861, for much 
information on the grasses best to be used as fertilizers and for 
food and manure. He recommends the " tall Oat grass " (Arrhe- 
nathenim avenaceuni) and the Texas Mesquit grass (Solcus 
lenatus) introduced from England, called also Velvet grass and 
white Timothy. The " Bermuda grass " is very pertinacious, 
and is excellent in eradicating nut-grass. 

Among the grasses useful for hay are the herds'-grass, timothy, 
orchard and clover. See, also. Southern Field and Fireside, 
May 4, 1861, for article on "Stalks of corn as substitutes for 
hay." 

Wilson states that the juice of the upright variety of Poa 
consists almost entirely of pure mMCiZrt^e. Rural Cyc. Consult 
papers on the " Grasses," "Hay," etc., Sinclair's Hortus Gram- 
eneus Woburnensis, Loudon's Bncyclopcedia, etc., for a full 
account of the relative value of grasses. Salt is often mixed 
with hay which has become wet, as a restorative ; it is then 
much relished by cattle. 

FESCUE GRASS, {Festuca duriuscula, L.) Introduced. 

Several species of Festuca grow within the limits assigned to 
me. See botanical authorities. Wilson's Rural Cyc. states that 
this is one of the best of the native grasses of England for 
general utility. It thrives there on widely different kinds of 
soil, yields a moderately large bulk of produce, maintains much 
of its verdure in winter, and resists the usual withering effects 
of excessive drouth and heat in summer. It is well adapted 
by its winter verdure and fine foliage for forming the sward of 
parks and the herbage of ornamental sheepwalks ; and when 
raised on a thin, healthy soil, or on poor, silicious sand, it has 
culms of so very fine and slender a form as to appear well suited 
to the straw hat manufacture. See op. cit. and the Woburn Ex- 
periments. This grass would likely be serviceable when 
planted on land subject to inundation. 

CANE, (Arundinaria gigantea, macrosperma, Mx.) Banks of 
large rivers ; Lawson in his travels in the Carolinas, says it does 



683 

not grow north of the James River ; confirmed by Nuttall. 
Groom's Cat. 

The cane and reed (A. tecta, Muhl.) are well known and used 
for many purposes : sometimes slit and made into chair bottoms, 
weavers' shuttles, and wherever a round, hollow wood is re- 
quired for cheap tubing, etc. Mills states, in Statistics of S. C, 
that the leaves impart to wool a fine green color. The canes 
attain a great height and size on our river courses, and are 
a characteristic growth ; they once grew luxuriantly throughout 
the upper country of South Carolina and Georgia, whence the 
names of many of the creeks and rivers, but have been almost 
entirely consumed by animals. See, also, the "History of the 
upper country of South Carolina," by Mr. Jno. Logan, Ch. 
1860. 

The Wilmington (N. C.) Journal, 1868, states that the " Cape 
Fear Fibre Company" has been established for the manufacture 
of Paper stock from our native cane or reed. It is calculated 
that this machinery will enable them to " blow out" about fifty 
tons of the paper stock per day. 

The mode of treating the cane is as follows : " Tightly com- 
pressed bundles of it are put in the steam-cylinders or guns and 
then subjected to the action of steam, at a pressure of about 
one hundred and seventy pounds to the inch, for about ten 
minutes. The gums and glutinous matter which holds the fibres 
together, are thereby dissolved, or softened ; and whilst in that 
state the cane is blown into the air by the force of the steam in 
the gun, and the fibres are separated by the expansion of the 
steam among them." The fibres are shot against a large target 
with considerable force, and the discharge resembles that of 
artillery. A battery of ten steam guns of the smaller size, 
twenty-four feet long and twelve inches in diameter, will yield 
over fifty tons of brown cane per day. No delicate machinery 
is required, nor skilled workmen. The company propose in the 
course of time, manufacturing box board, which article they 
can place in market at ten dollars less per ton than manufactur- 
ers who use straw can sell it. The paper made from the fibres 
of the cane is coming generally into use, and has achieved a 
world-wide reputation. The cane in this section is inexhaustible. 

CHESS, (Bromus secalinus, W.) Dr. McBride found it in St. 
John's, Charleston District. Fl. July. 



684 

Flora Scotiea, 1087. This is the plant which is said to render 
the seeds of wheat bitter. Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i, 
672; Journal Gen. de Med. Ixxxviii, 82 ; Shee. Flora Carol. 297. 
A good green dye is extracted from the flowers. Griflnth Med. 
Bot. 662. M. Cordier finds that it is bland in its action ; it was 
once thought to possess purgative powers. 

CATHARTIC BROMUS, {Bromus purgans, L.) Mountains 
of N. and S. C. Fl. August. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. i. 672. It was said to be 
anthelmintic, and that forty grains would produce vomiting. 
Etiect uncertain. 

AMERICAN ORCHARD-GRASS; CLUSTERED DACTY- 
LIS, (^Dactylis glomerata, Linn.) James Island, near Charles- 
ton. Fl. July. 

Shoe. Flora Carol. 492. This is the species instinctively 
sought after and swallowed by dogs and cats when they are 
inclined to vomit, or to envelop the splinters of bone collected 
in their stomachs. •• It is a valuable grass, and ought to be cul- 
tivated with care." 

CYPERACE.E. (The Sedge Tribe.) 

They contain very little fecula or sugar. 

JOINTED CYPERUS, (^Cypenis articulatus, Mich.) '-Grows 
on Hilton Head Island, at Ogeechee," Ell. ; vicinity of Charles- 
ton. Fl. July. 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. ii, 567. In Guinea this is 
considered one of their remedies for worms. 

Cyperus odoratus. L. River banks ; vicinity of Charleston. 
Fl. August. 

Lind. Nat. Syst. Bot. 385. The root has a warm, aromatic 
taste, and the infusion is given in India as a stomachic. Ainslie, 
Mat. Med. Ind. 288. 

SHARP GRASS, (Cypenis virens, Mx.) If incautiously drawn 
through the hand, the stem will cut severely with its sharp 
angles. 

GRASS NUT, (Cyperus repens.) The nut or root of this is 
sweet, and is cultivated and sold in Charleston as an edible nut. 
Mr. Coming, of Charleston, proposes to plant it as a food for 

llOffS. 



685 

NUT GEASS, (Cyperus hydra. Mx.) St. John's; Newbern. 
Prof. Holbrook informs me that Gen. Pinckney told him it was 
introduced, though Elliott does not mention it. Its reproduc- 
tive power is marvellous, and hence it is a great scourge to the 
planter, depreciating the value of land. It is with difficulty 
eradicated by constant hoeing ; by this process in its constant 
efforts to throw its leaves to the light the root becomes ex- 
hausted. The experiment has been successfully tried by J. 
McQueen, Esq., of Georgia, Ell. The destruction of the seed is 
also thus secured. 

A correspondent ''G," of the So. Agriculturist, proposes the 
followii\g plan for eradicating nut grass, which he has success- 
fully used : 

1st. Deep winter plowing — not scratching with a small single 
horse plow, but plowing to the depth of at least eight inches — 
even twelve, or more if possible — also frequent and thorough 
harrowing, or the use of the cultivator during the winter 
months, so that the tubers and stoloniferous fibres of the plant 
may be brought to the surface, and exposed to the frost. Thej" 
need have no fears of injuring their lands b}- deep plowing, 
provided they furnish them with an adequate supply of manure. 

2d. To put such crops upon the ground as will admit of its 
being frequently stirred during the growing season, with the 
plow and the cultivator — especially the latter instrument. By 
the adoption of this course, we will venture to predict, that in 
a few seasons they will have the satisfaction of seeing one of 
their most troublesome enemies effectually vanquished. The 
tubers are disseminated by hogs, crows and rats. 

H. W. E, has never seen the seeds mature in S. C, though the 
seed vessels are formed. 

MAEITIME SCIEPUS, (^Scirpus maritimus, L. Scirpus ma- 
crostachyus, M.) Marshes; "Little Ogeechee bridge, seven 
miles fi-om Savannah," Ell. Collected in St. John's ; vicinity of 
Charleston. Fl. June. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. ii, 292. Aromatic, and slightly nu- 
tritive. 

BOG MAEITIME SCIEPUS ; MAESH CLUB-EUSH, (Meo- 
charis palustris, E. Brown. Scirpus palustris, Linn, and Ell Sk.) 
Grows in rice-fields, often immersed. Collected in St. John's ; 
vicinitj' of Charleston. Fl. June. 



08G 

Mer. and de L. Diet, de M. Med. vi, 262. Lemerj- says the 
roots are astringent, and that they are employed in decoction in 
diarrhoea and hemorrhage. It is much used in Europe in the 
manufacture of chairs, mats and delicate ^york, and I would in- 
vite the attention of those engaged in similar operations in this 
country. 

Can\v acuta, L. Grows in bogs in the upper districts, often 
immersed, Lightfoot; Newbern. Fl. April. 

Fl. Scotica, ii, 566. In Italy the leaves are used by glass- 
makers to bind their wine flasks, and in the manufacture of 
chair bottoms ; also by coopers to place between the seams of 
cask heads to render them air-tight. The Typha latifolia and 
Scirpus lacustrls, both found in the Southern States, have been 
used for this purpose. (See these plants. ") The makers of tur- 
pentine barrels might find them convenient and valuable, suji- 
plying the place of the strip of wood shaving I have seen some 
of them employ. 



Class IV. RHIZAXTHS. 



Class V. ACROGENS, OR FLOWERLESS PLANTS. 

In this volume I pass over very lightlj' the Cryptogamia, 
Filices, Lichenes, Musci and Alya; the Ferns, Lichens, Mosses, 
etc., referring the reader for full details to my Eeport before the 
Am. Med. Assoc, vol. vii, on the " Medicinal, Poisonous and 
Dietetic Properties of the Cryptogamic plants of the United 
States," a volume of one hundred and twenty-six pages. 

The leaves of Ferns, one of the subdivisions of this class, 
generally contain a thick, astringent mucilage, with a little 
aroma ; on which account they may be considered pectoral and 
lenitive. Lindley states that almost any of them may be sub- 
stituted for the Adiantum pcdatum, and .4.. capiUus ceneris, which 
especially abounds in these products. The first of these grows 
in shady woods, North Carolina and northward, and the second 
is often pendant from limestone cliflfs, Florida, Alabama and 
westward. They form the basis of the syrup called capillaire, 
so much used in France and Germanv. Ainslie states that 



G87 

:i strong decoction of the last is decidcdl}- emetic. I have 
observed in the leaves of the Osinunda regalis, and of sevei-al 
other species, a taste strongly resembling that of spermaceti. 

Peat being a vegetable production is worthy of attention, 
and accumulations of it may be found by those who seek for it. 
A company is said, 1867, to be working and collecting it in the 
Dismal Swamp, N. C, and it will no doubt be found wherever 
grasses and minute water plants have been allowed to grow 
undisturbed for a great number of years. I have known the 
soil forming the substratum of fresh water ponds in St. John's 
Berkeley, S. C, to take fire during particularly dry seasons and 
burn fer weeks till extinguished by rain, or when the whole 
combustible material had been consumed. I have no knowd- 
edge of the depth which such vegetable accumulations had 
acquired, but were it not for the frequent tiring of the pine land 
which surrounds these partially submerged ponds and swamps, 
the formation of peat would be much more abundant. The 
writer would not be surprised to learn that the examination of 
the margins of many of our pine land ponds, particularly those 
generally holding water and where the grasses and confervoid 
plants were allowed to grow, would reveal a large supply of 
combustible earth. This might be cut and exported, or used 
as fuel. 

The plant which seems to abound most in such ponds and 
low pine lands, and which, I think, is a principal component, 
seems to be a very delicate one with leaves matted very thickly 
together, probably a club moss, {Lycopodium.') 

I have examined a bed of peat six feet thick, covering an 
extent of about a quarter of an acre. This is not more than a 
hundred yards from the steamboat landing at Mt. Pleasant, on 
the Cooper Kiver, opposite Charleston, and strange to say is 
very near the salt water. Much larger deposits exist in the 
neighborhood. I have also received very rich specimens of peat 
from Dr. St. Julien Ravenel, extensive deposits of which he has 
examined near the Ashepoo and Pon Pon Rivers, S. C. I see, 
also, in Rep. on the Geolog. of Arkansas, that it is found in 
great abundance in that State. Sir C. Lj-ell, iu his -'Geology," 
was inclined to question its presence in the warmer latitudes, 
and Prof. C. Jackson, of Boston, says it is not found at the 
South. 



688 

A paper on the " Yalue and Uses of Swamp Mack," by 
Simeon Brown, of Mass., is published in P. O. Eep., 1856, which 
furnishes instructions for handling it. 

Lands containing these muck swamps, formerly regarded as 
nearly worthless, have greatly advanced in value. When it is 
thrown out and becomes dry it is friable, and falls into a light, 
fine powder, which is greedily absorbed by plants. It is for the 
most part vegetable in origin, and made up of the annual de- 
posits of grasses, shrubs and mosses, with contributions of 
mineral and silicious matter and the addition of leaves from the 
forests. 

It has received the name •• humus" earth, or mould. Stock- 
hardt says: ^' By the general term "humus' we must under- 
stand a mass of brown, decaying matter, partly soluble, partly 
insoluble, partly acid and partly neutral, which, with the unin- 
terrupted presence of air, water and heat, may be still farther 
decomposed and carbonic acid and water thereby evolved. 
Carboni aceid and water are indispensable to the nourishment 
of plants; hence in a soil rich in humus, the plants will grow 
more vigorously, because they find these and can absorb by 
their rootlets more of these two nutritive substances than they 
could in a soil poor in mould. Humus exerts, moreover, a bene- 
ficial influence upon vegetation, because it loosens the soil by 
the development of carbonic acid ; because it possesses the 
power of attracting water from the air, and of retaining it for 
a long time, and because by means of the acids contained in it, 
it is able to abstract ammonia from the air, and also from ma- 
nure, the third means of nutriment of plants." 

Muck is cut, exposed to the air, and sometimes mixed with 
bones which have been dissolved by a solution of sulphuric 
acid, with lime, ashes or salt and ashes or guano, and com- 
posted with stable manure, and then applied to lands as a fer- 
tilizer. It is an excellent deodorizer or absorber, and is used 
also as a litter for stables. 

EQUISETACE.E. (Horsetail Tribe.) 

HOESETAIL, (^Equisetum Icevigatum.) North Carolina and 
northward. The seeds of the horsetail are remarkable for 
hygi-ometrical movement. They contain a great deal of silica. 



689 



The dried stems of E. hiemale and E. arvense are imported from 
Holland for cleaning wooden utensils and polishing cabinet 
work, turnery, and metallic wares. « This plant might be profi- 
tably cultivated for the use of turners, cabinet-makers and other 
artificers." "Wilson's Eur. Cvc. 



POLYPODIACE.E. 

Polypodium vulgare, L. It was formerly thought to be pes 
sessed of great virtues in obstruction of the liver, and was said 
to be expectorant and diuretic — rhizome used. 

BEAKE, (Pteris aquilina, L.) Grows in damp pine lands ; 
sent to me from Abbeville District by Mr. Eeed ; collected in 
St. John's; vicinity of Charleston; Newbern. F July. 

Dem. Elem. de Bot. lii, 347. The root is vermifugfe and 
astringent; and is said to be a remedy for the tape-worm, one 
ounce of the decoction being used at a dose. This plant con- 
tains a very large proportion of alkali. Fl. Scotica, 656. Its 
ashes will yield double the quantity of salt afforded by any 
other plant — forming, therefore, a manure adapted to potatoes. 
Made into balls with water, it is employed to wash linens. The 
astringeucy is so great as to render it useful in preparing 
leather and kid gloves. 

Wilson, in his Eural Cyc, says that the main interest in 
British ferns is concentrated in the Ptei'is, and as it is abundant 
in the Southern States, I will condense his remarks : it was 
formerly, he says, in great request for thatch, and usually lasted 
in that capacity eight or nine yeai'S on the north side of a roof, 
and fifteen or sixteen years on the south side ; but, except in the 
meanest hovels, it has been superseded by heath, straw, tiles 
and slates. It was formerly used in considerable quantity in 
both the glass and the soap manufactory, but cheaper and 
better articles have since supplied its place; still in the South- 
ern States we may find it useful as a material for a supply of 
potash and in making lye. The plant also possesses tannin. It 
is used as a fuel for heating ovens and burning lime ; it forms 
good litter to protect esculent roots in pits during winter. In 
England the rank growth of the brake is destroyed by irriga- 
tion. The leaves of ferns are found to be excellent for packing 
fruit, etc., for market. 
44 



690 

MAIDEN HAIK, {Adianhim pedatum, L.) It yields a useful 
syrup, called by the French " capillaire," which is a refreshing 
beverage mixed with water in fevers. Farmer's Encyc. 

LYCOPODIACE.E, (Lycopodiim clavatum,) L. Mts. of N. C. 
and northward. 

The decoction is given in a varietj^ of diseases as a diuretic and 
anti-spasmodic. The powder is emetic, but is principally em- 
ployed in place of starch to prevent excoriations in young 
children. It is also said to be the most eflScacious application 
in cases of Plica polonica. Griffith. 

Lycopodium selago, L, High Mts. of N. C. and northward. 

It is regarded as very active, and some cases of poisoning 
with it have been recorded ; in small doses it acts as an emeto 
cathartic, and in over quantity like the aero narcotics. A de- 
coction is employed in Sweden to destroy vermin on domestic 
animals. When mixed with lard it forms an irritating oint- 
ment, which has been used as a dressing to ulcers and to keep 
blisters open. Griffith. 

OSMUNDACE^. 

EOYAL FERN; FLOWERING FERN, {Osmunda regalis, 
Mx.) Grows in damp soils; collected in St. John's. Fl. July. 

Wade's PI. Rariores, 87. Dr. Stokes says that impressions 
of this fern are observed in nodules of iron-stone in the Cole- 
brookdale iron-works, and that it is the only species of an 
indigenous (European) vegetable which has ever been found in 
a fossil state, all others being of American growth. Wither- 
ing, Supplem. to Mer. and deL. Diet, de M. Med. 1846, 536. It 
is sometimes employed in dropsy, as an astringent in injuries, 
and by Dr. Heidenreich in the radical cure of hernia ; he reports 
fifty cases ("gueris radicalement") after the method of Simon: 
giving the root in wine internally, and placing upon the hernial 
ring compresses which have imbibed the decoction of the plant. 
Journal de Chim. Med. viii, 395, second series, 1842. In the 
Diet. Univ. de M. Med. v, 113, its employment in this affection 
was spoken of. Hermann boasts of it as having a direct action 
upon the intestinal canal, which it purges mildly in doses of 
two to four drachms of the powder. It acts upon the bile, 
augments digestion and strengthens chylification. The extract 



691 

has been thought peculiarly suited to cases of children affected 
with caries, mixed in milk or water, and continued for some 
time. Aubeil's Obs. sur I'emploi de I'Osmund, Journal Gen. de 
la Soc. de Med. xlvi, 59, 1843. Lindloy, in his Nat. Syst. Bot. 
400, states that it " has been employed successfully in doses of 
three drachms in the rickets." The leaves have been selected 
to make cradles for delicate children, from some supposed good 
effects derived from their use. Bncyclop. Meth. Botanique, iv, 
652. The strong resemblance which I have noticed between 
the taste of this species and spermaceti is quite marked. The 
plant seems scarcely to bo known in this country, and I observe 
no notice of it in the American works. 

ALGiE. {Inarticulatoe.') 

SEAWEEDS, {Fueus serratus and F. vesiculosus.) Iodine 
exists most abundantly in most species of Fucoidew, which form 
the greatest part of the sea-weeds of our coast. I extract the 
following from Wilson's Eural Cyc, in order that so useful a 
substance may be made in the Southern States, and also refer 
the reader to the plants furnishing iodine, which are treated of 
in my paper in the seventh volume Am. Med. Assoc. Iodine 
also occurs in the sponge, and in many moluscous animals. But 
it is from the incinerated seaweed or kelp that the iodine in 
large quantities is obtained. As the soap manufacturers are in 
the habit of obtaining their soda from kelp, iodine may be pi'O- 
cured very economically from the residuum of their operation, 
according to the process invented by Dr. Ure, which is as fol- 
lows: 

The brown iodic liquor of the soap-boiler, or the solution of 
kelp from which all the crystallizable ingredients have been 
separated by concentration, is heated to about 230° Fahr., 
poured into a large stone- ware basin and saturated with diluted 
sulphuric acid. When cold the liquor is filtered through woollen 
cloths; and to every twelve ounces (apothecary's measure) is 
added one thousand grains of black oxide of manganese in 
powder. The mixture is put into a glass globe or large matrass, 
with a wide neck, over which a glass globe is inverted, and heat 
is applied, which causes the iodine to sublime copiously, and 
to condense in the upper vessel. As soon as the balloon be- 



692 

comes warm another is substituted for it ; and when the second 
becomes heated the first is again applied. The iodine is with- 
drawn from the globes by a little warm water, which dissolves 
it very sparingly ; and it is purified by undergoing a second 
sublimation. The test made use of for the detection of iodine 
in any solution is, it is well known, starch; sometimes a few 
drops of sulphuric acid should be added, and a blue color is 
obtained if iodine be present. See Eural Cyc. lire's Diet, and 
works on Chemistry and Mat. Medica. 

Kelp is obtained from the two fuci mentioned above, from 
which also soda is obtained. I will insert the process as given 
by Wilson, in order that it may be better known by those living 
on our coasts. He says that on the Scottish coast the seaweed 
is cut close to the rocks during the summer season, and after- 
ward spread out upon the shore to dry, care being taken to 
turn it occasionally to prevent fermentation. It is then stacked 
for a few weeks, and sheltered from the rain, till it becomes 
covered with a white, saline efflorescence, and is now ready for 
burning. This is usually accomplished in a round pit lined with 
brick or stone; but the more approved form for a kiln is oblong, 
about two feet wide, eight to eighteen long, and from two to 
three deep. The bottom of this is covered with brush, upon 
which a little dried seaweed is now thrown gradually as fast as 
the combustion reaches the surface, and should there be much 
wind it is necessary to protect it by covering the sides with 
sods ; after the whole is burnt the mass gradually softens, be- 
ginning at the sides, when it should be slowly stirred up with a 
heated iron bar, and incorporated till it acquires a semi-fluid 
consistence. This part of the process requires considerable 
dexterity, and if the mass continues dry a little common salt 
should be thrown on, which acts as a flux. When cold it is 
broken up, and is now ready for sale. Notwithstanding, the 
author adds, that kelp contains but two or three per cent, of 
carbonate of soda, while Spanish barilla often contains twenty 
or thirty, [see ^^Salsola" and ^^ Salicornia,"} the manufacture of 
this article during the Continental war increased prodigiously. 
Stones were placed within the flood-mark of sandy shores, 
which became covered with seaweed. Potash will often supply 
its place, but soda is indispensable to the making of plate and 
crown glass and all hard soaps. The barilla is obtained in 



693 

France from Salicornia annua, which yields fourteen per cent, of 
soda. In the Southern States we have species of all the genera 
yielding soda and potash, viz : Salsola, Salicornia, Statice, Atriplex 
and Chenopodium, all embraced under the family Chenopodiacece . 
" Seaware," or seaweed, cast upon the shores is largely col- 
lected and used as manures. They contain a large proportion 
of nitrogenous and saline matters, with earthy salts in a readily 
decomposable state. They also contain much soluble mucilage. 

GLOIOCLAD^. 

Palmella. Dr. J. H. Salisbury has published a very remarkable 
paper, with plates, in the Am. Journal Med. Sc, for January, 
1866, on the cause and pathology of intermittent and I'emittent 
fevers, in which he ascribes them to the invariable and constant 
presence of two or three species of palmella. He asserts that he 
recognizes the Palmella in earth, growing near the localities 
where the fevers prevail — that they cover the wet earth or margin 
of ditches like a yellow powder, and that he has breathed the 
sporules of the palmella and taken the fever, and that by eradi- 
cating them such fevers disappear. By consulting Payer's 
Botanique Cryptogamique it will be seen that palmella, like 
Protococcus, or red snow, is one of the minutest forms of vege- 
table life, so that the sporules are very minute. Dr. S. declares, 
" so far as I have examined, (and my observations have been 
widely extended,) I have never found a case of ague in situ 
where I did not find the plant, (three species of palmellae, or 
palmelloid plants, one green, another red, a third lead color,) 
growing near ; and, vice versa, I have never found these plants 
growing in any locality but that (if such locality was inhabited) 
intermittent or remittent fever, or both, prevailed in proportion 
to their extent and profusion." A writer in the Belgian Med. 
Journal confirms these statements, but no medical observer in 
the country has yet substantiated them. 

After reading the article I sought for the palmella in a locality 
near Statesburg, S. C, where malarial fevers existed, particu- 
larly in a large fresh water pond which seemed to be the source 
of the disease, but could discover no evidence of the existence of 
palraellfe. Time will be required to decide this question. I feel 
confident that I know localities where malarial fevers arise, and 
where such plants do not co-exist. See J. K. Mitchell's treatise 



694 

on the *' Cryptogamic Origin of Malarial and Epidemic Fevers," 
and my Eeport to the Am. Med. Assoc, on the " Medical and 
Poisonous Properties of the Cryptogamic Plants of the United 
States." 

In a very extensive Catalogue of the plants growing in North 
Carolina, embracing nearly three thousand species of the flower- 
less plants, which 1 have just received (1869) from the author, 
the Eev. M. A. Curtis, of Hillsboro', there is only one species of 
palmella cited, (P. prodigiosan Mont, on cooked vegetables,) and 
Protococcus viridis, Ag., growing on the bark of limbs. 

Prof. H. C, Wood, of Philadelphia, in an able paper in Am. 
J. M. Sc, October, 1868, combats most forcibly the views of 
Salisbury and others. He placed masses of palmellse in a solu- 
tion of the sulphate of quinia of the strength of one grain and a 
half to the ounce. The quinia exerted no unhealthy influence 
whatever upon them. He considers that Prof S.'s descriptions 
of his genera and species are too vague and destitute of character 
to allow that the question of identity should be settled by them, 
and he states that Prof Leidy has slept for months with various 
species of palmellaB growing in masses near his bed, and that he 
himself had lived with them and swallowed them purposely, and 
by accident, by thousands, and yet, in neither case, has any 
trace of intermittent made its appearance. I have examined, 
under the microscope, species allied to palmellse sent to me by 
Mr. Eavenel, which might well escape the attention of any but 
those accustomed to researches among the very lowest order of 
vegetable life. 

FUNGI, OE FUNGACE^. (The Mushroom Tribe.) 

These are many species among these allowed the possession 
of medicinal virtues of a high order as well as of great value in 
the arts, and a rich field is open to the investigator in these in- 
teresting departments of Natural History and Indigenous Med- 
ical botany. I am compelled to refer the reader for details to 
the paper before mentioned. 

EDIBLE MUSHROOM, (Agaricus campestris.) 
The reader will find in my report to the American Med. As- 
sociation, vol. vii, 1854, on the Medicinal Properties of the 
Cryptogamic Plants of the United States, a full and elaborate 



695 

account of the Edible, Poisonous and Medicinal Fungi, H. "W. 
Eavenel has a paper on the " Edible Mushrooms of this country," 
read before the Aiken Yine Growing and Hort. Assoc. S. C. 
See, also, Eoques' treatise, " Champignons Comestibles," Paris. 
Mr. M. A. Curtis, of North Carolina, has in the hands of the 
printer descriptions with drawings of fifty American species of 
Edible Mushrooms. I introduce portions of a paper from the 
Patent Office Eeports, 1854, on the mode of cultivation of the 
mushroom : 

" The kind most generally cultivated in the gardens is the 
' Agariaus campestris,' which is thus described by McMahon : 
' The gills of this are loose, of a pinky red, changing to liver 
color in contact but not united with the stem ; very thick-set, 
some forked next the stem, some next the edge of the cap, 
some at both ends, and generally in that case excluding the in- 
termediate, smaller gills. Cap white, changing to brown when 
old, and becoming scurfy, fleshy and regularly convex, but with 
age flat and liquefying in decay, flesh white, diameter com- 
monly from one inch to three, or sometimes four or more. 
Stem solid, one to three inches high, and about one inch in 
diameter.' Loudon says: 'The mushroom is a well known 
native vegetable, springing up in open pastures in August and 
September. It is most readily distinguished when of middle 
size by its fine pink or flesh colored gills and pleasant smell ; 
in a more advanced stage the gills become of a chocolate color, 
and it is then more apt to be confounded with other kinds of a 
dubious quality ; but that species which most nearly resembles 
it is slimy to the touch, and destitute of the fine odor, having 
rather a disagreeable smell. Further, the noxious kind grows 
in woods or on the margin of woods, while the true mushroom 
springs up chiefly in open pastures, and should be gathered 
only in such places,' Armstrong gives the following directions 
for cultivating the garden mushroom : ' Prepare a bed early in 
October, either in a corner of the hot-house, if you have one, 
or a dry and warm cellar. The width of the bed at the bottom 
should not be less than four feet, and its length in proportion 
to the spawn provided. Its sides should rise perpendicularly 
one foot, and should afterward decrease to the centre, forming 
four sloping surfaces. We need hardly say that the material 



696 

of the bed at this stage of the business must be horse-dung, 
■well forked, and pressed together, to prevent its settling un- 
equally. It should then be covered with long straw, as well to 
exclude frost as to keep in the volatile parts of the mass, which 
would otherwise escape. After ten days the temperature of 
the bed will be suflSciently moderated, when the straw is to be 
removed, and a covering of good mould to the depth of an inch 
laid over the dung. On this the seed or spawn of the mush- 
room (which are threads or fibres of a white color, found in 
old pasture grounds in masses of rotten horse-dung, sometimes 
under stable floors, and frequently in the remains of old hot- 
beds) is to be placed in rows six inches apart, occupying all the 
sloping parts of the bed, which is again to be covered with a 
second inch of fresh mould and a coat of straw. If your bed 
has been well constructed your mushrooms will be fit for use 
at the end of five or six weeks, and will continue to be pro- 
ductive for several months. Should you, however, in the course 
of the winter find its productiveness diminished, take off nearly 
all the original covering, and replace it with eight or ten inches 
of fresh dung, and a coat of clean straw. This by creating a 
new heat will revive the action of the spawn, and give a long 
succession of mushrooms.' The garden mushroom is eaten 
fresh, either stewed or boiled, and preserved as a pickle, or in 
powder, or dried whole. The sauce, commonly called 'ketchup,' 
is or ought to be made from its juice with salt and spices. 
"Wild mushrooms from old pastures are generally considered as 
more delicate in flavor and more tender in flesh than those 
raised in artificial beds. But in the young or butter mush- 
rooms of the cultivated mushrooms there is evidently much 
less risk of deleterious kinds being employed. The soil em- 
ployed should be virgin earth with turf well reduced, neither 
too dry nor too wet, otherwise it will not be capable of being 
beaten solid. It must be laid regularly over the beds, two 
inches thick. From the time of earthing the room or cellar 
should be kept at a temperature of 50° to 55° Fahr. If higher 
it will weaken or destroy the spawn ; if lower it will vegetate 
slowly, and if watered in that state numbers of mushrooms 
will be prevented from attaining perfection. Water must bo 
applied with extreme caution, being nearly as warm as new 
milk, and sprinkled over the beds with a syringe or small water- 



697 

ing pot. Cold water destroys both the crop and the beds. If 
suffered to become dry it is better to give several light water- 
ings than one heavy one. Beds thus managed will bear for 
several months, and a constant supply kept up by earthing one 
bed or more every two or three months. If when in full bear- 
ing the mushrooms become long stemmed and weak the tem- 
perature is certainly too high, and air must be admitted in 
proportion as the beds decline. To renovate them the earth 
must be taken off clean ; and if the dung is decayed the dung 
must be reformed, any good spawn being preserved that may 
appear ; but if the beds be dry, solid and full of good spawn, a 
fresh layer of compost three or four inches thick may be added 
mixed with a little of the old, and beaten solid as before." 

Mushrooms may be grown in a cellar or other vaulted place 
with equal success, and not unfrequently with greater advan- 
tage, the same rules being adopted ; but no fire is necessary, 
and less water. Antidote to poisonous sorts : all fungi should 
be used with great caution, for even the edible garden mush- 
rooms possess deleterious qualities when grown in certain 
places. All the edible species should be thoroughly masticated 
before taken into the stomach, as this greatly lessens the effects 
of poisons. When accidents of this sort happen, vomiting should 
be immediately excited, and then the vegetable acids should be 
given, either vinegar, lemon juice, or that of sour apples ; after 
which give ether and anti-spasmodic remedies to stop the exces- 
sive bilious vomiting. Infusions of gall nuts, oak bark, and 
Peruvian bark are recommended as capable of neutralizing the 
poisonous principle of mushrooms. It is, however, the safest 
way not to eat any of the good but less common sorts, until 
they have been soaked in vinegar. Spirits of wine and vinegar 
extract some part of their poison ; the tannin matter decom- 
poses the greatest part of it. 

The following is a method of raising mushrooms by a gentle- 
man, " K. C." of Eeaufort, S. C, which I obtain from an agricul- 
tural paper. " I send you a method of raising mushrooms, by 
which I have very unintentionally succeeded in producing an 
abundance each spring, for the past three years, and sometimes 
during the winter and fall : fence in a spot ; strew litter trash 
from the woods in it, say one or two inches thick, and shut up 
stock cattle in it every night for a week or two, any time be- 



698 

tween January and June. Let the manure remain untouched, 
and in the fall or winter, if the weather proves mild, an abun- 
dance of mushrooms will be produced, which may be eaten 
without any fear, as only edible ones will grow." 

The common mushroom found in yards and fields, which may 
be known by its delicate pink color on the under surface, turn- 
ing black as it decays, is frequently eaten at the South, and is a 
delicious vegetable when stewed with milk and seasoned. 

A discovery was made some few years since that two or three 
species of agaricus form by deliquescence an inky fluid which 
dries into a blister colored mass, is capable of being used as a 
water color for drawing, and retains its color in defiance of all 
the common chemical agencies. Dr. Coxe, of America, who 
put the discovery completely to the test, is disposed to think 
that the deliquescent fungi might be prepared into an excellent 
India ink ; that its dried deposit, mixed with oil, might proba- 
bly answer for engravings, and that as the ink appears to be 
indestructible by any agency short of burning, it might be tried 
for the filling up of bank notes and other valuable papers. The 
kinds of agarici which possess the inky property, appear to be 
those designated ovatus, cylindricus and porcellaneus. It is this 
property of blackening which enables us to separate the poison- 
ous from the edible. Wilson's Eural Cyclop. 

The Patent Office Reports, 1854, contain papers on the culti- 
vation of the garden mushroom from Armstrong, Loudon, and 
others. 

CEDAE APPLE, (Podisoma juniperi, Podisoma macropus, 
Schw.) Used as an anthelmintic. 

Uredo segetum and U.fetida. Smut in wheat and corn is pre- 
vented by soaking the grains, before planting, for twelve hours 
in a solution of lime water, salt and water, or acids. The 
taste and smell of smutted wheat is disguised by molasses, 
hence it is often purchased by those making sweetened bread. 
See a full description in Wilson's Eural Cyc. 

(Ecidium, Uredo, Puccinia, etc. Minute parasitical fungi ; 
attacking fruit trees, plants, etc. See article in Eural Cyc, 
and my Eeport on Medical and Poisonous Properties of the 
Cryptogamic Plants of the United States, Trans. Am. Med. 
Assoc, vol. vii ; also, H. W. Eavenel's Fungi Carolin. Exsicati ; 
Loudon's Encyc. of Plants ; Sowerby's English Fungi, and 
Berkely's Crypt, of England. 



699 

TUCKAHOE; mDIAN BEEAD OE INDIAN LOAF, 

{Lycoperdon solidum, Pachyma cocos, Schw.) I have collected it 
in the fields, St. John's, S. C. It is not mentioned by Chapman. 

This curious subterranean development of abnormal vegeta- 
tion, whether fungus or not, has been described by Clayton and 
LeConte, and by Dr. McBride, of South Carolina, in a commu- 
nication to the New York Philosoph. Society. See, also, Med. 
Eeport, vol. vi. and Earm. Encyc. It is very probably nutri- 
tious. Its internal color is white ; it resembles a brown loaf of 
coarse bread. I could not detect starch in it by the usual tests. 

GIANT PUFF BALL, {Lycoperdon giganteum.) My corres- 
pondent, Mr. H. W. Eavenel, writes me as follows (1868) with 
reference to this immense eatable mushroom : 

" It ought to be found in abundance about the Neck and near 
Charleston, particularly in the grassy lawns where the cattle 
are driven to graze. It is the largest of all the puff balls and is 
really a delicious thing. They are used sliced up and fried in 
butter, or stewed in milk and seasoned like the common mush- 
room. The plant is used when full grown and just before the 
transformation (morphosis) takes place, changing its texture 
from a white, pulpy substance to a dry purplish mass of minute 
spores. It has been mentioned by medical writers that the 
spores of the Puff balls have narcotic properties, and it is an 
anasthetic agent, acting somewhat like chloroform when in- 
haled, but I have never experienced any effects of the kind from 
its use as a vegetable. However, Dr. Harry Hammond, of 
Beech Island, S. C, writes to me, 'since writing to you, I and 
a number of others have made several meals on Lycoperdon, and 
I think I have discovered in myself well marked evidences of a 
narcotic influence — and two other experimenters have described 
similar sensations to me. I recollect also to have heard from 
Mr. Mahan, that a friend of his, a physician in Georgia, had been 
seriously affected in this way by two large a meal on Lyco- 
perdon.' " 



In order to invite the attention of our people to new sources 
of industry I append a list of some of our Native Plants which 
are now largely gathered in the mountain districts of Carolina, 
Georgia and Tennessee, and which find a ready sale in the 



700 

northern markotis, nt prioos rnnging from fivo to ninety ivnts. 
Thoy will bo taken by any wholoj^alo drug house : 

Ginseng. Sage. Indian Hemp, (Black.^ Horse Mint, Boneset, 
Yellow Jessiuniue. Lady's Slipper. Pink E<x>t, White Pond Lilly, 
Seneka and Virginia Snakervx^t, Button Snakeroot„ Lobelia, 
Herb and Seed. Yellow JD^x^k. ^^Bum^x.^ Bark of Mt. Ash. Lemon 
Balm. Calamus. Pogwood Bark. Elder Bark and Flowers, 
Sampson Snakeroot. (^Gx^ntian."^ Amerioan SiUVon. SassatVa* Bark, 
Myrtle Wax. Cherry Bjvrk. Cotton, Bark of Root, Pepixr- 
mint. Pleurisy Boot. Thorn Apple Leaves. "SYhite Hellebi^re, 
Prickly Ash Berries and Bark. Pandeliou Boot, Black Boot, 
White Hellebore. BKxxi Boot, Blue Flag. Bitter Boot, Yeratrum 
Viride. False Unicorn Boot, [^JI^Iohujs jPioum.) 



TAIUM.AK CALFNDAK FOR THK GAKDKX. 

The following was publisher! (^by 11. W. Ravenel. of Aiken. 
S. C") in the Aiken Press. It is suitable for tiie latitude of 
South Carolina and Georgia, showing the seasons for planting 
and the seasons for using vegetables, so as to have a constant 
diiily supph* through the year: 



701 



VKOKTABLKS. WHKX TOBK PLANT P. 



Artiohoke, globo. 
Artiohoko, gro'ud. 
B«an$, snap. 



Ouof plaiittHl, pt'ivu- 
uial. 

uial. 
Auv time iu winter. 



WHEN riT FOR TSK. 



March to May. 

April, M:»y, June. 

OotoWr to March. 

March to Ausjust. 'May to October. 

i 
Match to Mav. ' Midsummer to frost. 



Good for the t.-ible and 

for piokliuit- 
Plant at intervals for a 
succession. 
B«iuis, Sowtye or March to May. ' Midsummer to frost. They may be put up for 

Lima. winter use. 

B««t$. Feb., March". April. May to September. [Maybe planted in July 

I for winter. 

Canfeloup. iM.'vreh, April. May. .hine to September. ■ 

Cab.. irrtH^nylaa'd. April, May. November to March. The seed must be pure to 



Injures the b«d to cut 

atter May. 
Suckers, set out in aut'n. 



Cab., sum. rarit's. 



Collanls. 
Carrv^t. 



Cucumbers. 



Autumn or sprint;. May and in midsum- 
mer. 

April, May. June. Aujrust to March. 
Feb., March, April. • Midsummer to next 

I March. 
March, April. May. ! May to September. 



Guinea Squash. March. April, May. July to frr^st. 



Kohl Kabbi. 

Leeks. 
Lettuce. 

Mustju>l. 
Melons. 

Onions. 

Okra, 

Teas. 

Potatoes, Irish. 

Peppers. 

Parsnips. 

Kadish. 

Ruta Baga. 

Spinach. 

Squash, early. 



Spring and summer. Midsummer to neJit 

I winter. 
f Sow seeits in Feb.,' 
< set out in June, November to .\pril. 

(. Job- 
Jan., Feb., March, March. April, May, 



April. 



June. 



July to November. < Following winter. 
March to June. 'July to Septeml>er. 
f Sow seeds in >[ar. .\ugust, Septem- "j 
or plant young ber, October. j 
onions in Nov., J 

Jan., Feb. June, .Tuly. 

arch to June. .July to frost. 

December to March.!. \pril to June. 

February to .\pril. June to October. 



head. 

See\ls sown in autumn 
must be protected 



< must oe proi 
( during winter. 



To Ih> earthed up as they 

grow. 
( Cabbage lettuoe is the 
I best variety. Make 
"I the ground extreme- 
ly It rich. 

To be used as greens. 

I' Plants from seeds will 
! keep thrv>U}:h win- 
1 ter, those tnnn sets 
[ will not keep. 
Plant sec"d crop in June 
for succession. 



Plant for a succession of 

er\>ps. 
Gt>odrieh*s seedlings the 

best. 



March, April. Summer and fall. 

March, April. .Following winter. 

iMarch to .\.ugust. April and through! Used green or ripe. 

the summer. | 

July, Atigust. |FolIowing winter. Plant frequently for a 

stKvession. 
September, iVtober,' November to .\pril. 

November, Dec. 
February to .\pril. ^ May to .\ugust. 



Squash, Potato or! April, May, June. Midsummer to frost. 

Coosaw. j 

Salsify. i March. April. . Following winter. 

Turnips, spring. jFebruarv. M.arch, Mav to July. 

April." 

Turnips, winter. | July. August. November to March . Plant sec»ind crop not 

Tomatoes. j February to July. (July to frost. \ later than July. 



May be plante<i in April 
for summer crop. 

Soil must W estivniely 
rich. 

Keep well through the 
winter. 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX 



RESOURCES OF TIE SODTBERN FIELDS & FORESTS. 



INDEX TO THE COMMON NAMES OF PLANTS, 



GENBKAL INDEX. 



Abortion, ptaitts inducing, 61, lO.S, 429; 

provonting, t>J, 447, (>0t? ; iu iiuimaU, ():i2. 
Abstorijonts, ;>'.•, '.'0, soo softji. 
Acju'ift, false, ill). 
" rose, i!J4. 

substituto for, 352, 390, 494, se€ 

domuloonts. 
Acotio noid. from pine, S75, in pi. 274,510. 
Acetous fonuontation, 274. 
.\obiUoio iwid, 4(i7. 
Aoids, vojfotnblo iu plnnfs, 41, 4S, 173, 17t>, 

193, 17S, 347, 407, ;)7.'>: tost for, 448. 
Aconite »nd aoonitia, 44 ; lioonitic acid, IS. 
Acorn, bearinj;, to raise, 30;> ; substitute 

for ooflVe. (U4 ; for bread, 021. 
.Vcrid plants, 3:)4, 358, 359, 389. 403, 408. 

409, 422. 441, 442, 440, 450. 40.\ 480, 

492, 508, 514, 552, 559, 571, 001, 60t», 

020, 023, 090. 
Acrimonious vapor from pi., 237. 
Adam's needles, a substituto for fl&x and 

hemp, 009. 
Adhesive material, 95, 197, 200, 177. 
.Adder's Tongue, 009. 
At^ergrass. 045. 

Agaric, substitute for, 155, see styptics. 
Agave. Virginian, 101 : Mexican, iu Fla., 

lirink, fixnu 599; alcohol lUid materials 

for paper, tnnu 599 : tibre, from 101, 599. 
Agrimony, 173. 
Ague v?eed, 550; root. Oil. 
Air chambers in pi., 00. 
Albumen, plants yielding, uses of, 42, 103, 

020; for clarifying sugar, 103. 



.\lcohol, (see liquors, '^ in grape, 258 : from 
sap of birv'h, 190; from agave, 599; 
from Poke, 404: from elder berries, 449; 
from sugar-cane. 050, 057. 

Alder, 307 : for tanning, 308 ; oil and wino 
from, 308; bhick, 415, 428 ; tags, 307 ; 
white, 417. 

Ale. ^see beer,) to mauufact. at South, 
.■>23 ; to tiavor, 627. 

Alga', 091. 

Alianthus, for tape-worm, and causing 
vertigo. 103. 

Alkaline salts in weeds, (see potash and 
soda.l 159, 399; fable of, 309, 400, 407, 
404, 517, 583. 081, 089. 

Alkalies, test for, 448. 

.\lkaloids — in Pi-eliminary Remarks. 

Alkanot, 151 ; bastard, dye from, 480. 

.\llspice, 233 ; substitute for, 392. 

Allston's account of rice culture, 070. 

Almonds, subst. for oil of, 274. 

Aloa. a subst. for cotton and for paper, 627, 

.\loc, fibre from, 101 ; subst. for, 612. 

.\lumina in plants, 306, 370. 

Alum root. lt>4. 234. 

Alteratives, vegetable, 13, 10, 33, 34, 42, 
40. 52, 81, 140, 158, 101, 202, 20.S, 231, 
242. 273. 307. 351, 359, 390. 403. 400, 408, 
414. 410. 420. 427. 44;^ 447. 400, 401, 470, 
472,478. 501. 508, 510, 513, 514, 539, 
501, 502, 563, 667, 680, 603, 608, 609, 
016, 617. 

AUhiva, 103. 

.\madin, \CA. 



704 



INDEX. 



Ambrosia, 460. 
America, pride of, 126. 
American arbor vitoe, 5S6. 
•' barberry, 53. 
" centaury. 556. 
" Colombo, 556. 
" cranberry,. 421. 
" hemlock, 44. 
« olive, 570. 
" orchard grass, 6S4. 
« ivy, 273. 
" spearmint, 4S1. 
" gafiron, 700. 
" silver fir, 5S5. 
" Spikenard, 52. 
" Ipecac., 567. 
Ammonia, plants yielding, S6, 227 ; pi. 

exhaling, 401, 
Amulet, plant used as, 91, 47S. 
Amyroot, sudorific and alterative, and use 

of in asthma, 559. 
Amygdalin, 199. 

Anesthetics, native, 19 ; influence on 
plants, 231; local, 44 j singular native, 
550, 553. 554. 699. 
Anaphrodisiacs, 35. 
Anemone, 14.; anemonin, 14, 
Angelica, 47 ; fragrancy of, 47 : tree, 61. 
Animals, list of plants avoided by. 127. 
645: food for, 645: pi. calming, 59: pi. 
producing abortion in, 61 ; pi. hostile 
to, 418, 420, 607, 611, 690. 
Anise seed tree, 39. 
Anodyne, see narcotics. 
Antidote to poisonous fungi. 697. 
Antimony, substitute for, 563. 
Anti-periodics, native, 16, 38, 40, 43, 45, 
63, 85. 94, 147, 162, 174, 175, 177. 194, 
239. 278, 307, 362. 374, 40S, 410, 428. 4i2. 
446, 452, 454. 461, 463. 465. 466, 469, 470, 
483, 4S4, 489, 506. 511, 556, 560, 567, 571, 
577, 611, 626, 632. 693. 
Anti-scorbutics, sorrel as, 166, 407 ; cress 

as, 74, 75, 156, 423, 481, 511. 
Anti-spasmodics, native, (see aromatic?,") 
47, 48, 54, 121. 219. 233. 401. 447. 455. 

465. 466, 479, 481, 4S4, 549, 623, 690. 
Anti-septics. vegetable. 48. 202, 394, 428. 

466. 577, 581 : powder, 5S1 ; sage as, 484: 
sugar as. 651 : fig as, 350 ; slippery elm 
as. 352. 358, 359. 

Anthelmintics, native, see vermifuges. 

Apiol, use as a febrifuge, 45 ; apiin, subst. 
for quinine. 45. 

Aphrodisiacs, native, 311, 449, 481, 485, 
514. 550. 602. 626. 

Aphides, pi. destroying, 199, 178. 

Apocynin, 560, 562. 

Apple. 177 ; cider from, 178, et s«q.; liquor 
from, 187: wine from, 178; wood for 
printing, 178 ; to store up, 177: insects 
on. to prevent. 178 : substitute for dried. 
69 : May, 21, S2 : thorn, 28. 549, 554; cus- 
tard, 41 : vinegar from, I7S ; cedar, 698. 



Arbor vitie, for engraving and for hedges, 

198. 586: antidote for jessamine, 503. 
Arbutus trailing. 417. 
Army Beer, 392. 
Aromatics. native. 39. 43. 46. 47. 48. 49, 51, 

156, 162, 204. 219, 306, 354, 357, 359. 392. 

395. 396, 401, 418, 458. 459. 468. 481. 482, 

484. 485. 486. 490, 586. 588, 589, 599, 602. 

611, 626, 681, 684; pi., cultivation of, 

4.54. 
Arnica. 468. 
Arrowhead, 615. 
Arrow, pi. to poison, 562. 
Arrowroot, 572 : method of preparation 

and cultivation, 590, et seq.; Indian, 590 ; 

machine, for rasping. 591; to dry, 593; 

to prepare and cultivate on plantations, 

591 ; Florida and Creorgia, 590. 
Arterial sedatives, 420. 
Artichoke, cultivation and uses, 470 ; burr, 

470 : Jerusalem, 459. 462. 
Arsenic, antidote for, 667. 
-\rum, 619. 

Assafoetida, substitute for, 465, 
Asarin, 395. 
Ash. value of, 571 : poison, 570 ; prickly, 

51. 161 : mountain. 193. 
Ashes, strength of and vield. 299. 583; 

potash, etc.. in, 299. 306. 366. 369. 370, 

583, 689: to polish metals, 351: potash in 

corn, 634; use in soap making, 371. 
Asparagus, (see salads.) 613: substitute 

for, 202, 321, 472, 566. 613. 616 ; subst. 

for cofiFee, to prepare. 614: mannite in, 

614. 
Asparagin, 154, 616. 
Aster. 455. 
Astragalus. 204. 
Astrinsents. native. 18, 35. 59. 61. 62. 63, 

86. 132. 155. 164. 167. 168. 172. 173. 174. 

175. 203. 226. 231. 233. 234. 237, 239. 241. 

243. 278. 279. 296. 3ii2. 3ii7. Si'S. 310, 324, 

354. 357. 362. 383. 385. 4^6. 408. 410, 413, 

415. 418. 419. 422. 424. 428. 447. 466, 478, 

479. 481. 483. 484, 5o5, 509, 600, 608, 609, 

615. 626, 686. 689. 
Atamasco lily. 599. 
Avens. white. 173. 
Azalea, intoxicating prop, of, 421. 
Azote in pi.. 274. 402. 
Bald Cypress. 587. 
Balm. 482 : of Gilead tree. 585. 
Baling cotton, wood for. 298. 365. 
Balsam tree. 155: balsam, plants yielding, 

156. 235. 450, 585. 586, 588 ; bearing cro- 

ton. 134. 
Banks to protect. 307, 644, 679; notes, 

paper for. 661, 698. 
Bands, for cotton bales, 298, 365. 
Baneberrv. 20. 
BariUa pi. 158. 692. 
Barhe de Capucin. 475. 
Barley, liquor from, 190. 
Barrels, material to caulk, 624, 6S6. 



INDEX. 



705 



Barberry, effects on wheat, eto., 53; 
American, 53 ; syrup from, 53 ; irrita- 
bility of stamens. 53, 11*3. 

Barilla, plants yielding, 15S, 397, (see 
Potash:) to manufacture from fuci, 692. 

Barks, to dry, 280 ; for cordage, (see 
fibre :) Jamaica and Georgia, M2 ; 
j'ielding tannin, (see Quercus.) 280, et 
neq.; extract to make, 295; for boats, 
587. 

Barometer, natural. 161. 422, 204. 

Bastard alkanet, ISO ; Loosestrife, 60 ; In- 
digo. 219 ; Ipecac, 5G7. 

Baskets, material for making, 66, 298, 
3R4, 375, 3S2, SS9 ; willow to prepare, 
377. 

Bass wood. 121. 

B)issorin.^73. 

Bat-weed 4ti9. 

Bayberrj-. 197. 

Bay, singular properties ascribed to, 37 ; 
red, subst. for mahoganj', 37 ; beds, ma- 
terial for, 617 ; bedsteads, material for, 
91. 

Bedsteads, material for, 91. 

Beds, material for, 617. 

Bean, garden, 226. 

Beaver tree. 36 : poison, H. 

Beaked hazelnut, 274. 

Bear grass, 609; to cultivate and prepare 
fibre as subst. for hemp, 610 ; bearded 
darnel, 646. 

Bods, material to stuff, (see mattresses,) 
113, 277, 391, 565, 566, 602, 624, 627: 
cotton as material for, 113; to prevent 
insects in, 391 ; moss for, 602 ; palmetto 
for, 604. 

Bee {)a3ture, plants for, 482. 

Beer, native plants yielding, to make, 323 ; 
391.463 ; pi. giving intox. quality to. 646; 
from locust. 229 : French Army. 392; per- 
simmon. 424; to strengthen, 466; spruce, 
5S6; Sassafras, 391; from China briar, 
616; from corn, 635; small, 636. 

Beech, 275 ; ashes rich in potash, 276 ; 
oil from, 275 ; phosph. of lime, 276 : 
leaves for stuffing beds, 277 ; drops, 
505. 

Berries, wine from grape, 255 ; from ser- 
vice tree, 188. 

Bees, on honev-dow, 123 ; poisoned, 241 ; 
pi. for, 375,"460, 482. 

Beet, vinegar from, 412 ; to extract sugar 
from, 412 : cultivation of, 413 ; to crys- 
tallize, 413. 

Belladomna. substitute for, 219. 

Bene, oil and mucilage from, 492 ; sub- 
stitute for castor and olive oil, 493 ; to 
extract, 493 ; use of leaf in dysentery, 
494 : soup from, 228 ; soap from, 494. 

Benzoic acid in plants, 203, 383 ; in grass, 
643. 

Bent grass, 679. 

Benzoin, 392. 



Berberina, 20, 16, 22, 53, 414. 

Bergamot, 132. 

Bermuda arrowroot, to prepare, 590 ; 
grass, 647. 

Birch, red, 306 ; cherry, 305 ; sweet, 305 ; 
liquor from sap of, 190, 306, 308, 361 ; 
black, 305 ; sugar from, 361. 

Bird, catching, 431 ; lime, 429 ; to pro- 
pare, 67, 430 ; to intoxicate, 607. 

Bisenna, 589. 

Bishop's weed, 46. 

Birthwort. 608. 

Bitters, (see tonics,) subst. for, 418, 555 ; 
formula for compound of native pi., 65. 

Bitter root, 561 ; orange, 132. 

Biting knotweed, 486. 

Black alder, 308, 428 ; oak, 279 ; gum, 
386; birch, 306; drink. 431; poplar, 
281 ; walnut, 359 ; oil from, in tooth- 
ache, 359 ; spruce, 584, 586 ; root, 460, 
510 : snakeroot, 18, 42 ; haw, 447. 

Blackberr}', 167, 168; j-ellow, 168; wine, 
to prepare, 168 ; jelly, 172 ; syrup, 170, 
171; cordial. 170; laxative prepara- 
tion from, 171 : in tanning leather, 
281, 385 : in diarrhceas and dysentery, 
167, 171 ; preserves, 171 ; jam, 171 ; 
tea from, 172. 

Blacking, from elder, berries, to prepare, 
448. 

Blade tea, in fevers, 632. 

Bladder nut, 155. 

Blazing star, 450, 606. 611. 

Bleaching plant, method of, 101. 

Bleeding, pi., to arrest, 483 ; see styptics. 

Blindness in horses, caused by, 84 ; in 
man, 145, 420. 

Blistering plaster, subst. for, 17, 14, 203; 
plant, 237, 389, 465 ; blistering fly, 14; 
to collect, 435 ; see, also. Escharotics. 

Blockade, expedients during, 65. 

Blood root, 30 ; wort, 484 ; weed, 567 ; to 
stop flow of, 308. 

Blue, flag, as a diuretic in dropsy, 600 ; 
tripterella. 600: d^'es, to extract, 210; 
plants yielding, 208 ; cohosh, 54 : jes- 
samine, 13 ; eyed grass, 601 ; gentian, 
554; true blue grass, 681. 

Boats, timber for, 348, 587, 588, 589; 
bark, 587. 

Bog rush, 685. 

Bois d'arc, 119. 

Boneset, uses of, 451. 

Books consulted, 1. 

Bosttn brown bread, 633. 

Bots, native remedy for, 31, 41, 126. 

Box, 134 : boxes, material for packing, 
5S4, 586, 589 ; wood, subst. for, 419 ; 
board, cane for, 683. 

Bougie, material for making, 352. 

Bowls, wood for, 388. 

Bows, from osage orange, 120 ; from lo- 
cust, 220. 

Brain, pi. acting on, 610. 



706 



INDEX. 



Brake, 6S9. 

Brandy, native material for making ftx)m 
persimmon. 426 ; from peach, 199 : from 
watermelon. 6S : from elder. 449. 

Bread, subst. for. 17, 274; from persim- 
mon, 424 ; from potato, 435 : from roots 
of plants, 477, 621 : hygienic. 633 : 
damelled. 646 : from corn. 632 : Indian 
loaf. 69S : from rice. 669. 677 ; from 
spurrey. 161 ; from clover. 203, 204 : 
from arum. 621 ; from acorn. 621 : Bos- 
ton brown, 633; from sorghum, 661. 

Breath, pi. affecting. 679. 

Brewing, (see liquors.) 

Bromiis, 6S4. 

Brooklime. 511. 

Brook, pimpernel. 511 ; weed, 423. 

Broomset.lge. straw. 400. 

Broom rape, 505 : grass, narcotic, 647 : 
corn, 649. 

Broomj, material for, 306, 5S7 : from 
doura corn, 6t9. 

Brushes, native material for, 605. 

Buchn. subst. for, 41S. 

Buckeye, 90. 

Buckets, wood for, 5S9. 

Buckthorn. 133. 

Buckwheat, subst. for. 411. 

Buffalo clover. 204: berry tree. 301. 

Bugle weed. 4S3 : to check bleeding and 
action oa pulse, 4S3. 

Bugs. pi. hostile to. 91, 391. 

Buflace, wine from, 273. 

Bulrush. 616. 

Burdock. 460, 469. 

Burns, remedy for, 237. 

Burning fluid, see oil : bush, 154. 

Burr, 460 ; artichoke, 470 ; to tan leather. 
470 : reed. 625. 

Bush, honeysuckle. 446. 

Butterfly weed. 562. 

Butternut. 357 ; oil and sugar from, 35S : 
pi. preserving, 352 ; to make fragrant. 
644. 

Button snakeroot, 43, 450, 600: bush, 
syrup for, 443. 

Button?, native materials for, 90. 

Byrams plan of cultivation and mana- 
faeture of silk. 327. 

Cabbage, tree. 121. 604: palmetto, 604: 
for forts, wharves, thatch, etc., 605 : 
skunk. 622 : wax from, 355 : oil from. 
495. 

Cabinet work, woods suited for, 37. 41, 
65. 120, 121. 134. 146. 230. 274. *75. 27S, 
306, 34S. 352. 353, 358. 361. 363. 377, 
3S1, 3S7. 431. 571, 587, 5SS, 589, 6S9. 

Cactus, to harden candles, 70. 

Cahincic acid, 445. 

Cainca, 445. 

Cake, plants yielding oil, 71, 144, 150. 

Calabash, use's of, 691. 

Calico bush, poisonous and narcotic prop, 
of. 419, 420. 



Calendar for the garden, 700. 

Calamus, an aromatic, 626, 459 : vol. oil 

of. 627 : to tan, 627. 
Calico printing, plants used in, 205, 444. 
California wine, to make. 260. 
Calomel, subst. for, (see Deobstrueuts and 

alteratives.) 473, 511, 5fr4. 
Cambric, subst. for cotton in making. 311, 

312. 
Cammelina. an oil plant, 71. 
Camp itch, remedy for, 448. 
Camphor, plants yielding. 233 394, 459, 

485, 486. 
Canada leatherwood, 389 ; suakeroot, 

395 : balsam, 585 ; golden rod, 458 : 

rice, 677. 
Canadian collinsonia. 486. 
Cancer root, b05 ; weed, 483 ; powder, 

505. 
Canella, 156. 
Canellin, 156. 
Candles, to harden, 70 : from beech, 274, 

276 : from myrtle berries, 354 ; for war 

times, 580 : from tallow tree, 148. 
Cane and reed, paper from, 683 ; sec 

Chinese and sugar-canes, 65S; walk- 
ing, 129. 
Canoes, cypress, 588. 
Cantharis, vesic, to collect, 435. 
Cantharides. subst. for, 13, 17, 358, 465, 

620, 622 : antidote to, 157 ; to prepare 

from potato fly, 437. 
Caoutchouc, plants producing, 146. 152, 

153, 349. 472, 480, 562, 564, 618; to 

prepare, 56-1. 
Caper tree. 79. 
Capillaire. 687, 690. 
Capers. 566 : subst. for, 17, 79. 
Capsicin, 512. 

Carbolic acid, neutralizing malaria. 577. 
Carbonisation of wood, 379. 
Cardinal flower, 441. 
Carmine ink. substitute for, 405. 
Carminatives, (see aromatics.) 
Carolina potato. 435 ; jalap. 434 : bnck- 

thom, 133 : Indigo, to prepare, trade 

of. 204, 205 : Ipecac., 152 : pink root, 

567. 
Carrion plant, remarkable ovior from, 618. 
Carotin. 48. 
Carrot, sugar and spirit from, 48. 

'• uses of, 48. 

" oil of. 48. 

" for tape-worm, 48. 

" liquor from, 4S. 

" wild, 49. 
Cartridge boxes, material for, 388. 
Cascarilla. substitute for, 39, 134. 
Casks, cider, 278. 

" material for caulking, 624, 686. 
Cassia. 230. 

wild, 229. 
Cassina, 431. 

" black drink from, 432. 



INDEX. 



TUT 



Castor oil plant, 134. 

" '• " inodo of cultivation, cx- 
prcs^iion of oil, usos, etc., 

i;;5. i;56. 142. 

" *' '* as a lubricator, 141. 
" •* " solf-huUiuK. 135. 
" " " steariiio froui, 144. 
" *' " cake for manure, 144. 
** •• '• to inororse uiilk in nurs- 
ing women, 145. 
" " •' substituted for, 29. 
Calalytic agents, 5(>1. 
Outalpa. 501. 

in fevers. 501. 
honey from. 501. 
Cataleptio power in plant, 4i.>0 ; plantoaus- 

ing oj^lepsy, 447. 
CaUiwba grape, 253. 
Cateohu. substitute for, ir>4, 175, 234, 413, 

479 ; for tanning, 289. 
Catgut, 21S. 
Cat-foot, 468. 

Caterpillar, plant hostile to, 318, 400. 
'' of silk worm, 33S. 

" to prevent ravages of, 466, 

490. 
Cathartic bromus, f>84. 
Cathartics and substitutes for, 20, 21, 29, 
34, 40. 53. 69. 133, 143, 151, 153, 154. 
158, 163, 165, 198, 202, 204, 218, 219, 
229, 230, 234. 243, 279, 324, 347, 358. 
396, 399, 403, 406, 408. 429, 434, 441. 
445, 446, 447, 451. 454, 470, 471, 474, 
507, 508. 510, 557, 559, 563, 565, 600, 
601, 60S. 612, 614, 647, 678, 690, 691. 
Catnip, 489 : cat-foot, 468. 
Catmint. 489. 

Cattail, as a substitute for cotton, and to 
stuff mattresses with. 623 ; cattail, for 
paper, 623. 
Cattle, plants poisonous to, 153, 154, 418, 

420, 606 ; food for, 273. 
Cats, fondness for plants, 489. 
Caulking, material for, 686. 
Caulophyllin, 23. 

'• in hooping cough and asth- 

ma, 278. 
Caustic properties, plants possessing, (see 

Escharoties,'! 13, 17, 358, 359, 559. 
Cayenne pepper, 51. 
Cedar. 588. 
" oil from, 589. 
" liquor from. 189. 
'• purple dye from, 589. 
'• apple. 589. 698. 
Cellars, lor wine. 257. 

necessity for at South, 323. 
" dry, 323. 
Celery, 45. 
Cement, for cisterns, 299. 

for glass, 603. 
Cendres gravelees, 369. 
Centaury. American, 556. 
Cereal, now, 677. 



Chairs, wood suitable for making, 363. 

353; for bottoms of, 616, 683, 686. 
Chamomile, wild, 465. 

" substitute for, 64, 465. 

in fevers. 4t>G. 
" to destroy insects, 466. 

Champagne, 257. 

" substitute for, 425. 

Charcoal, qualities of. 378,573. 

plants yielding, 275, 378, 571. 
" for gunpowder, 296, 307, 318. 

378.^400. 
" to prepare, 29t>, 380. 
'* to purify water. 378, 380. 
•• to clarity vinegar, 574. 
Cherokee rose, as hedge plant, 121, 
Cherry, 195. 

** . liquor from, 188. 
'• birch, 305. 
'* cordial and svrup, 196. 
" wild, 194. 
" ground, 516. 
Cheese, plants to tlavor, 20,3, 4 14, 
Chess, dye from, 683. 
Chestnut, uses of, 277. 

'■ charcoal from, 3S0, 
" oak, 305. 
Chibou resin, 235. 
Chiccory, cultivation of and admixture 

with coffee, uses of, 473. 
Chiekweed. 161; water, 386; rod, 422. 
China briar, 616; beer from, 616; berry, 
127; grass, 312; vegetable to cement. 
603, 611 ; grass cloth, 317 ; paper from, 
616 : substitute for asparagus, 616. 
Chinese tea plant, cultivation and prepa- 
ration of, 123 ; Chinese paper from 
typha, 623. 
Chinese sugar-cane, sugar, molasses and 
syrup from. 649, 663 ; to manufacture, 
value of, 650, tt si<j.; vinegar, sugar, 
molasses, paper and coffee from, 650, ct 
ftq.; yam, 619 ; to cultivate, 665. 
Chinquapin, astj'ingenc_v of, 277 ; water, 

35; bloom injurious to bogs, 277. 
Chloroform, substitute for, 699; influence 

on plants, 231. 
Chocolate from groundnut, 228. 
Cholagogues, 16. 22, Sii. 34, 511, 601, 691. 
Ci'ler. juanufacture of, 178 ; from mulberry, 
347 : from sugar-cane. 649 ; from per- 
liimmou, 425; jelly, 419; from criftapplc, 
177. 
Cigars, plants to flavor, 176; pectoral, 464. 
Cimieifugin, 19. 

Cinchonine in Georgia bark, 442; substi- 
tutes for, 63, 302. 
Cinnamon, wild, 156. 

Circulation, plants acting on, ;^see Seda- 
tives.) 
Cisterns, cement for. 299. 
Citric acid, 128 ; mode of extracting. 129, 

131, 347. 
Citron, 132. 



708 



INDEX. 



Claret wine, 272. 
Clematis, crisped, 13. 

Cloth, from fibre, 317 ; plants yielding, 
310, 312, 560, 565, 566, 598, 510 : to ren- 
der water-proof, 580 ; from mulberry, 
349; plants to wash, 59; from hop, 320; 
to stamp, 407 ; from corn shucks, 643. 
Clot-burr, 469. 

Clover, rabbit foot, 204 ; buffalo, 204 ; yel- 
low, 203 ; red, 203; white, 204; sweet, 
203; field, 204; Japan, new forage 
plant, 224 ; wild, 225. 

Clove tree, 233. 

Club rush, 6Sj ; golden for examination 
with microscope, 623. 

Cnicin, 4!J9. 

Coaches, wood for, 353, 359, 363. 

Coal, to burn from, 378; gas from pine, 
577; as anti-septic, 581. 

Cob, corn, analysis of, 633; potash, lye, 
soda and soap, 634. 

Cochineal, insect, 70 ; cactus, 70. 

Cockle burr, 173. 

Cockspur, ihorn, 176. 

Cocoons, method for treating, 839. 

Coffee, 444 : substitutes for suggested, 
103, 204, 228. 446, 470, 477; from cotton 
seed, 107; from potato, 438; from chic- 
cory, 473 ; Florida, 230 ; from aspara- 
gus ; 614 ; from acorns, 614 ; from corn, 
636 ; from Chinese sugar-cane, 661 ; from 
dandelion, 471 ; from rice, 669 ; from 
wheat, from rye, 680; okra, 103; from 
cohosh, 54; from groundnut, 227. 

Cohosh, 18 ; white, 20 ; as a nervous se- 
dative, 18 ; action on uterus, 19 ; blue, 
54,278; substitute for coffee, 54. 

CoUinsonia, 486 ; useful oil from, 487. 

Colocynth, substitute for, 234, 562. 

Colombo, American, 556; substitute for, 
20, 414. 

Colt's tail, in gonorrhoea, 455; foot, 17, 
395. 

Collodion, 107. 

Comfrey, wild, 480 ; intoxication produced 
by, 481. 

Compass plant, 460. 

Concentrated lye, to prepare, 299 ; from 
corn, 366, 368, 633. Preparations, in 
preliminary remarks. 

Confectionery, plant to color, 347. 

Conf Jferate flax, 610. 

Conia, 45. 

Conium, substitute for, 44. 

Consumption weed, 459. 

Contrayerva, substitute for, 43, 466. 

Convallarin, and convallamarin, 613. 

Convulsions plant, allaying, 549; plant 
causing, 621. 

Coontie, 572. 

Copaiba, substitute for, 415, 456. 

Copal varnish, plants yielding, 241, 242 ; 
copal oil and resin, 383. 

Coral Indian, imitation, 617 ; root, 603 



Cordage, plants yielding, 121, 220, 311, 313, 
349, 353, 458, 560, 586, 678 ; from mul- 
berry, 347, 349 : whaboo, 352, 353; gol- 
den rod, 458; Indian hemp, 560 ; spruce, 
586; from bear gr;i?s, 610; from rope 
bark, 389 ; from mos.s, 6o2 ; from bass 
wood, 121 ; fnim ramie, 312. 

Cordial, 156; cherry to make, 196; from 
blackberry, 170 : "from plum, 197 ; from 
whortleberries, 422 ; curacoa, 567. 

Cork, substitute for, 386; tree, 305. 

Corn, Indian, David Dickson's mode of 
cultivating, 628,114; manure for, 114; 
oil, sugar, paper, beer, soda, soap, potash, 
bread, etc., from, 628. ct scq.; cobs, 366, 
633 ; analysis of, 633 ; paper and cloth 
from shucks, 643; as food for horses, 
633; soap from shucks, 366, 635; sugar 
from, 636: molasses from, 640; leaves 
for paper, 641 ; for hops, 643 ; Guinea 
and doura, 648 ; potash in, 366, 368, 633; 
poppy, 28 ; in fevers, 632 ; substitute for, 
127; starch from, 591, 633; oil from, 
632 ; coffee from, 636 ; sugar from, 636 ; 
arrowroot from, 633. 

Cornine, 63. 

Corns, to remove, 14. 

Corrosive plant, 81, 480, 514. 

Corpulency, plant reducing, 311. 

Cosmetic, plant used as, 613. 

Cotton, 104 ; David Dickson's mode of culti- 
vating, 113; cultivation of upland, 115; 
of sea island, 117 ; action on uterus, 105; 
fibre in surgerj-, 106 ; substitute for qui- 
nine, 106 ; substitute for coffee, 107; 
soap from, 108; collodion from, 107; 
gun cotton, 108 ; cotton seed, to hull, 
109 ; to press, 110 ; oil and cake, 105, 
109 ; as a manure, 110 ; wooden slats for 
baling, 365, 298, 353 ; plant injurious to, 
276; recent substitute for, 311, 312; 
woody fibre unfitted for, 628; micro- 
scopical examination of, 628; cattail for, 
623; eel grass, new substitute, 627 ; beds 
from, 113; to prevent caterpillar in 
fields, 466, 490 ; bark for paper, 107, 113 ; 
diseases of, 108 ; Dickson's formula for 
manure for, 114, 118; yield of, 116; 
value of seed of, 116, 117; method of 
dyeing,215; wood tree, 382. 

Coumarin, 203, 450. 

Counter irritants, (see Escbarotics.) 

Cowpea, to increase milk in nursing wo- 
men, 226 ; parsnip, 46. 

Cow, influence of purslane on, 157; spur- 
rey on, 161 ; plant causing abortion in, 
632. 

Crabapple, 176. 

Cranberrj', value, cultivation ard preser- 
vation of, 421 . 

Cranesbill, 164. 

Creosote, from pine, 574, 577j 584. 

Creeping cucumber, 69. 



INDEX. 



709 



Cress, (see salad.) water, 73 ; Virginian, 

71 ; oil from 74. 
Cross-ties on railroad, locust for, 224. 
Croton oil, substitute for, 29, 134; balsam 

bearing, 134. 
Crowfoot, 1C4; crow poison, 606. 
Cryptogam ous genera, 686. 
Cucumber tree, 38; creeping, 69; Indian, 

608. 
Cudweed, 467. 
Culpepper, curious extracts from Nicholas, 

37. 
Culver's root, 510. 
Cumpti or Indian arrowroot, 590. 
Cunilla, 487. 
Curacoa, 567. 

Currants, »01 ; wild, 194, 201. 
Cushions, pi. to stuff, see beds. 
Custard, apple, 41. 
Cutworm, to prevent, 127. 
Cypress, uses of, 587 : powder, 622 ; for 

canoes, 588. 
Cyperui=, jointed, 684. 
Cyuamic acid, fr. gum, 383. 
Cypripedium and cypripedin, 603. 
Cisterns, cement for 299. 
Daisy, oxeyed, 467. 
Dandelion, 471; substitute for coffee, 

caoutchouc in, 471. 
Darnel, bearded, poisonous to wheat and 

beer, 646. 
Daturia, 552. 
Deadly night shade, 512. 
Deafness, plants relieving, 486, 611. 
Deer, grass, 60 ; to imitate voice of, 47. 
Delirium, caused by plants, 551), 553, 647; 

pi. allaying, 549. 
Delphinia, 18 
Demulcents, native, 59, 68, 70, 74, 80, 203, 

429, 443,460, 615, 686. 
Density of wood, 298, 304. 
Dentrifice, vegetable, 406. 
Deobstruents, 32, 74, 134, 146, 174, 408, 

409, 452, 471, 477, 478, 490, 507, 511, 

515, 564, 586, 601,606. See .-riteratives 
Depuratives, pi. acting as, 561. 
Detergents, (see soap,) 467, 501,515.689. 
Devil's fig, 28; wood, 570; bit, 006. 
Dew, acrid from pi., 84, 146. 
Dewberry, 168. 
Diaphoretics, 37, 51, 52, 151, 152, 161, 

394, 395, 433, 439, 443, 447, 451, 469, 

486, 487, 510, 589, 603, 618. 
Diet drink, 472. 
Digitalis, 508 ; substitute for, 30, 483, 490, 

559, 561, 563. 
Dykes, to protect, 645. 
Dill, 48. 

Dilatation of pupil, pi. producing, 513. 
Dioscorein, 619. 
Directions for collecting and drying 

plants, 6. 
Discutients, native, 84, 373, 448, (see 

Escharotics.) 



Disinfectants, 577. 

Dittany, 486. 

Diuretics, native, 20, 34, 42, 43, 49, 53, 68, 
69, 85, 90, 91, 145, 158, 163, 165, 172, 
230, 234. 249, 273,386, 395. 397, 401, 
407, 409, 414, 415, 418, 429, 433, 434, 
441, 443, 445, 446, 447, 453, 454, 457, 
460, 461, 465, 470, 471, 478, 486, 491, 
501, 509, 516, 517, 561, 566, 571, 578, 
586, 589, 600, 60S, 613, 614, 616, 621, 
647, 689. 

Divining rods, 61. 

Dock, 406 ; common, 408. 

Doctor's gum, 243. 

Dog's-tooth violet, 609 ; bane 559, 561. 

Dog's, plants vomiting, 560, 647, 684; 
mange in to cure, 405, 421. 

Dogwood, 63 ; dog-fennel, tested for tan- 
nin, 384, 454; to tan leather, 455; ink 
from, 66 ; swamp, 66 ; blood red, 66 ; oil 
from, 66 ; Jamaica, 201. 

Dollar plant in diarrhoea, 226. 

Dotted monarda, 485. 

Douracorn, 648; subst. for wheat, 649. 

Drainage of Southern States — see pre- 
liminary remarks. 

Dragon, swamp, for poultices, 373 ; root, 
619. 

Dragon's blood, 408, root, 619. 

Drastic cathartic, 69. 

Dried fruit, subst. for, 68 ; fig, 350. 

Drinks, from native plants, (see Li- 
quors.) 

Drj'ing medicinal substances, 5. 

Duckweed, 21. 

Durability of wood, 277, 278. 

Dutchman's pipe, 395. 

Dwarf nettle, 308: milk weed, 565 ; palmet- 
to, 605 ; elder, 53 ; sumach, 242. 

Dye, from native plant — general direc- 
tions and materials for, (see Indigo, 
214,) 215, 244, 279, 348 ; to fix, 91, 245. 

Green— IC. 20, 302, 363, 408, 571, 612, 613, 

683, 684. 

Yellow— U, 15, 20, 29, 53, 84, 121, 133, 
199, 201, 177, 216, 220, 243, 274, 280, 
311, 362, 409, 427, 434, 444, 458, 461, 
515. 

Blue— 18. 157, 202, 204, 205, 214, 303, 351, 
357, 410, 571, 614. 

Black— m, 58, 61, 64, 148, 216, 23a«241, 
244, 302, 448, 462, 483, 560, 571? 600. 

Without copperas, 241, 360, 585. 

Scarlet— 6i,M._ 

I)'>ve—217. 

/Jrown—21o, 357, 406, 585, 617. 

Gol(l—3i>l. 

Ciiui,imo>i—3(i7, 302, 417, 421, 589. 

Pnr2jU— 205, 249, 280. 

Slate— 216.-y • i i 

Cn'minn—i-^i2j 405. 

Saffron— 2Vi. 

Canarij — 363. 

VioUi— 215. 



710 



INDEX. 



Olive— 20, 302, 36.',, 408. 

Gold—n-i. 

Solferlno Pink — 21S. 

Straw— 2\1. 

Drab— 20, 216, 390. 280, 

Indelible, for bank notes, 698 ; Fawn, 

217, 
Red—?,Z, 84. 215, 218, 444. 
Orange— 2\(S, 280, 307. 
Ultramarine — 014; for skin, 480. 
Ebony, substitute for, 431. 
Ecbolics, 19, 61. 
Eccoprotics, 408. 
Edible, psoralea, 204 — plants, (see Salad,) 

Mushroom 794. 
Eol grass, recent substitute for cotton and 

for paper, 627. 
Eggs, management of silk worm, .340. 
Elder, 447, 241. spirits from 449 ; ink from, 

303, 44S : Blacking, from berries 448 ; 

ointment in itch, 448; to prevent flies, 

44S. 
Elecampane and inulino in native pi. 

468. 
Electricity on pi., 232. 
Elm, slippery, 351, 'to preserve fatty sub- 
stances 352 ; white 352. 
Emmenagogues, native, 46, 47,48, 54, 105, 

311, 401, 409, 418, 439,446,461,467, 484, 

485, 490, 586, 589. 
Emetic holly, 431 ; root 438. 
Emetics, native, 19, 30, 42, 43, 51, 60, 67. 

69, 79. 134, 146, 151, 152, 153, 157, 165, 

175, 176, 202, 204, 273, 307, 389, 396. 

401, 403, 410, 429. 432. 439, 443, 445,447, 

451, 461, 405. 469. 479, 484. 501. 508, 510 

517, 559. 561, 565, 600, 601, 606, 609, 

Oil. 612, 618, 687, 690. 
Emolicnt plant, see mucilaginous. 
Empyrcumatic oil, 380. 
Endive, 473 ; substitute for, 475. 
Engraving, wood for (see wood) 275, 419, 

ink for from fuci, 698. 
Euonj'min, 154. 
Ergot, cotton seed a substitute for, 105, in 

corn 63, in darnelled broad, 047. 
Errhincs, 354, 395, 396. 417, 419, 457, 606, 

612. 
Escharotics, native, 13. 14, 17, 22, 29, 30, 

34. 43. 46, 81, 83, 84. 145, 147, 152, 153, 

174, 203, 237. 358, 389, 403. 436, 465' 

Sli, 512, 514, 559, 564, 578, 589, 615, 

620, 622, 670. 
Esparto grass, new material for paper, 

624. 
Essence of flowers to extract, 482, 500. 

504 of oranges. 129. 
Ether, influence on pi., 233. 
Evaporation, singular in sunflower, 

463. 
Everbearing mulberries, .346. 
Exhalation poisonous from pi. 237, 241. 
Excitants 311, 457. 
Expectorants, (see emetics) 33, 611,618. 



Experiments with nettle (Urtica,) to 
check bleeding, 309; with leaves of 
plants for tannin. 384 ; extract from oak 
to tan. 294. 

Eye bright, 152, 153, 439. 

Eye. plants acting on, 31, 128, 145, 613, 
551. 553. 623. 

Faggots, pi. for 462. 

Fagine from brech, 275. 

Fall Poison, 606. 

False acacia, 219, flax, 71. 

Fans from palmetto, 605. 

Farcle berry, 422. 

Farina from cotton, 145, from locust, 220, 
434. 

Fatty matter from pi., 42, 159, 441. PI. 
preserving. 352. 

Feathers to dye, 444. 

Febrifuge; see antiperiodics, and quinine. 
Feeula, pi. yielding 35, 120, 594, 616, 
623, to separate 592. 

Fecundation, singular in tape grass, 616. 

Felling timber, season, 280. 

Fences, pi. for, 377, 277, 587. 

Feunel, 46. 

Fermentation, process of, 179, 180; in 
grape 253 ; to prevent, 259 ; to extract 
starch, 596. 

Fern, 686. royal, 690; bush, sweet, 357; 
use of leaves for packing, 689 ; flowering, 
690. 

Fescue grass, value for swards and ma- 
terial for hats. 682 : water, 681. 

Fetid plants. 447, 465, 468, 407, 622; re- 
markable, 618. 

Fetor pi. correcting, 48. 

Fever, root, 446 ; bush, 392 ; weed, 43 ; few, 
173 ; pi. cause of, 163 ; to prevent, 577. 

Fever and ague, palmella, cause of. 693. 

Fibre, use of cotton in surgerj', 106; plants 
yielding useful, 71. 95, 103, 319, 320, 458, 
560, 565, 566, 586. 311, 313, 610 ; to clean, 
nil, 597 : from alloa for cotton, 627 ; from 
rush, 678; substitute for cotton, exam., 
565. 628 ; fibre of vegetables and trees, 
298. 304. 349 : from cane, 683 ; from okra, 
103, 625: from agave, 599; from sisal 
hemp, 597; from bear grass, 610. 

Fibrine in plants, 41. 

Fig tree, 349 ; vinegar from, 351 ; molasses 
from, 350 ; method of dyeing, 350 ; blue 
and red colors — from, 351; ashes to pol- 
ish metal, 351 ; devil's, 28 ; wort, 507. 

Filaments, sensibility of, 472. 

Fiorin, for wet meadows. 645. 

Fir, silver. 585 ; black. 584. 

Fire weed. 468. 

Fish, plants stupefying. 91, 201, 410, 506 ; 
food for. 681: wood, 154; fishing nets, 
pi. to make, 566. 

Fit root, 416. 

Flagellation with nettle, 310. 

Flag, blue, as a diuretic and cathartic, 
600 ; sweet, 626. 



INDEX. 



711 



Flanui'ls, to ilyc, 307. 
Flll^ks, toc'ovor, t)86. 
Fliivoring csseuce.-i, 627. 
riax, cultivaliuu aud prepiiration of, oil 
t'roin, 94, 96; seed Iruiu, 96; t-ul>stitute 
lor, 313, 079; mouutain, 91 ; water, (528; 
tal!<o, 71; I'roui bear grass, Old. 
Fleas, plant destroying, 467,4^^7, 578. 
Flea-bane, 455; in gonorrlitea, 456. 
Flesh, antiseptics for, 394. 
Fla.\, substitute for, 565, 566. 
Flies, plants hostile to, 2C2, 409, 448, 509, 

606. (See insects.) 
Flooding, plant to arrest, 480. 
Flora (jaroliniana, (Walters,) 557. 
F'lorida arrowroot, to prepare, 591 ; yow, 
586; coilee, 230 ; sisal hemp in, to culti- 
vate a^d prepare, 597. 
Flour, substitute lor, 275, i 17; darnelled, 
646; from sugnr cane, 66i ; from wild 
rioc, 678. 
F'loworloss plant.", 686. 
Flowering fern, 690. 

F'lowers, to collect aud dry, 5 ; disengaging 
heat, 620, 622 ; fetid, 618 ; injurious to 
animals, 277; oil of, to collect, 504; 
yielding tannin, 85, 386; to increase 
193; eaible, 220; sensibility in, 472, 477, 
490 ; sugar from, 566. 
F'ly, poi.-on, 606; trap, examined, 66; 
catchers, 56 ; value as a bitter tonic, 56 ; 
plants hostile to, 203 ; Venus, 36 ; blis- 
tering, 53.5. 
Flutes, wood for making, 353. 
F'ood, plants to supply during scarcity of, 

645. 
Forage plants, 220, 5:28, 462, 475 ; new, Ja- 
pan clover, 224 ; ramie as, 816; grasses 
lor, 644, 660. 
F'orgetfulucss, induced hy plant, 550, 553, 

554. 
F'ormic tvcid in plant, .SIO. 
F'ormieation, plant eausing, 420. 
Forty knot, in dro])sy, 396. 
F'ox glove. 508 : grape, 250, 263. 
Fragrant plants. 233. 235, 354, 587. 
F'rankincense, 2o5, 585. 
Freckles, plant removing, 82. 
French mulberry, 491. 
Fringe tree, 570. 
F"rost root, 457 ; wort, 81 ; weed, 81 ; rose, 

81 ; absence of, 272. 
Fruit trees, to remedy defects in bearing 
192 ; oil from, to extract, 497 ; to pre 
vent insects on, 200; essences, 129. 
Fuci, iodine and kelp, to manufacture 

from, 691, 398, 399. 
Fuel, excellent material for, 462. 
Fumitory, 34 ; potash iu, 35, o69. 
F"uugi, subterranean, 699; edible, cultiva- 
tion, uses of, etc., 694; parasitical, 698. 
Galls, 280; substitute for, 237, 239; for 

ink, 1'96. 
Gall of the earth, 477. 



Galaetagogue, ^ irtui s of cow pea, 226 ; for 
euro of piles, 296; castor bean, 145; 
plant yielding, 35 ; 237, 280. 
Gallic acid. (Sec astringents.) 
Galvanism on plant, 232. 
Gama grass, 646. 

Gamboge, substitute for, 29, 84, 399. 
Game, to ensnare, 430. 
Garden bean, 226 ; calendar for, 700. 
Garlic, 611; wild, 611 ; meadow, 611. 
Gas, poisonous from plant, 501, 237, 241 ; 

illuminating, 576. 
Gaultheria, oil of, 93. 94, 418. 
Guatemala Indigo, 208. 
Gelseniinine, 504, antidote for poisoning 

from, 503. 
Gentian, 554; substitute for hops, 555; 
blue, 554 ; compound tincture of, 555; 
horse, 446, 
Georgia bark, substitute for quinine, 442. 
Geranium, 164. 
Geranin, lf>o. 
Germination of seed, 673. 
Gerardia. yellow and purple, 509. 
(4iant, puff ball. OOO. 
(liddiness. pi. producing, 610, 646. 
Ginger, J6t>; substitute for, 396; wild, 

3U5. 
Ginseng, 49; use of in China, and subst. 

for liquorice, .iO ; three leaved, 50. 
(iipscy wort, 182 ; in fevers, 483. 
Glasswort, 39'J. 
Glass, vegetable cement for, 603, 611 ; 

plan to make, 397. 
Glue, substitute for, 95. 
Gluten, from wheat to manufacture, 680 ; 

from corn, 633; plants yielding, 401. 
Goats' rue, 2 IS. 
tiold, of pleasure, as an oil plant, 71 ; 

cultivation of, 71 ; seed rice, 671. 
Golden, cassia, 230 ; grana ilia, 23, 83, 
club, 623 ; rod, 458 ; Canada fibre and 
dye from, 458 ; seal, 15; gratiola, 508. 
Goobernut, 227. 
Gourd, 69 ; for utensils, 69. 
Granadilla, 23, 83. 

Grape, native, 250 ; cultivation of wine 
from, 219, 264, ct scq.; French, advised, 
264 ; hybridizing, 271, rot in, 253 ; va- 
rieties, 250, 253 ; mildew in, 254 ; wine 
from leaves, 255 ; from berries, 256 ; 
cultivation at South, 267 ; seeds for 
tanning, 386 ; sea. 413. 
Grass, eel, recent subst. for cotton, 312; 
best cultivated for food and pasture, 
644, et seq ; best variety of, 545 : ben- 
zoic acid in, 643 ; blue eyed, 601 ; .avoid- 
ed by animals, 645 ; Timothy, 644, 648 ; 
period to cut, 648; poisonous, 646; nar- 
cotic, 646, 647 : Indian, 647 ; sugar in, 
644; best for hay, 644 ; to prevent en- 
croachment of water, 645 ; lime, sugar 
in, 644 ; Bermuda, 647 ; vomiting dogs, 
647, 684; fragrant, 644; broom, 647; 



712 



INDEX. 



Grass, continved. 
wire, 678; marsh, 679, 685 ; reed bent, 
679 ; tape, 615 ; true blue, G81 ; meadow 
645, 681 ; fescue, 681, 682 ; American 
Orchard, 684: mesquit, 682 ; nut grass, 
685 ; grass nut, 684 : sweet scented, 
643 ; gama, 646 ; sesame, 646 ; food for 
hogs, 684; "Esparto" for paper, 624; 
water, 42 ; china, subst. for cotton, 312 ; 
knot, 410; Walter's, 678. 

Gratiola, 508. 

Gravel root, 453, 486 ; valuable oil from, 
487. 

Ground nut, 227 ; oil from, 228 ; subst. for 
chocolate, 228 ; material for soup, 228 

Ground, cherry, 616; laurel, 417; holly, 
415 ; ivy, 17 ; grouyere cheese, 203. 

Guaiacum, subst. for, 162, 165. 

Guaco, 450. 

Guano, subst. for, 583; Peruvian, 114. 

Guinea-corn, value of, 648; brooms from, 
G49; dye from, 217. 

Gulver'sroot, 510. 

Gum, resembling honey, 460 ; plants exu 
ding, 200, 4(iO: Arafjic, subst. for, 197, 
200, 177, 494,602; sweet, 382 ; leaves 
recommended in place of oak hark in 
tanning, 384 ; copalm fr. 383 ; black, for 
shoes, etc., 387; sour, 386; hemlock, 
585. 

Gun powder, native wood for making, 66, 
307, 31 8, 379, 400 ; stocks, wood for, 85, 
360, 363, 377. 

Hackberry, 353. 

Htcmostatic virtues of nettle, 308 ; of 
shepherd's purse, 74 ; (see styptics.) 

Hair tonic, vegetable, 15; pi. staining,462. 

Hallucination induced by pi. 550. 

Hardback, 174. 

Hardness of trees, 304. 

Harvest drink, 192. 

Hash-heesb, pi. acting like, 552. 

Hats, plants for making, 374, 382; pal- 
metto for, to whiten, 605 ; fr. reed mace, 
623 ; grass for, 644, 678, 682. 

Haw, 176 ; black, 447. 

Hawk-weed, 484. 

Hay^, substitute for, 645, and securing of, 
644, 648 ; best grasses for, 644, 679 ; corn 
as subst., 633, 634. 

Hazel nut, 274; oil from, 274; beaked, 274. 

Headache, caused by pi., 423. 

Heal-all, 486, 487. 

Heart, snake root, 396 ; pi. acting on, (see 
pulse.) 

Heart's ease, 80. 

Heat evolved by plants, 620, 622. 

Heaves in horses, pi. for, 460. 

Hedges, plants for making, 120,197, 198, 
192, 220; osage orange, 119, 176, 229, 
274 ; from pear, 192 ; from willow, 375 ; 
from arbor vita^, 686. 

Hedge mustard, 75 ; hyssop, 508. 

Hellebore, white, 606. 



Hemlock, spruce, 585 ; American, 44. 

Hemp, uses of, 317 ; to plant, 318 ; substi- 
tute for, 73, 31 1, 458, 560, 597, 610 ; for 
gun powder, 379, 319 ; intoxicating, 319 ; 
Sisal, to prepare, 597 ; cult, in Fla., 598 ; 
substitute for, 95; beargrass, for, 609 ; 
Indian, 659 ; (see, also, tibre.) 

Herbe du Diable, 480. 

Herbemont's ever-bearing mulberry, 346. 

Hercules' club, 161. 

Herds grass, 644. 

Hesperidin, 128. 

Hickory, uses of, 362 ; as a dye, 362 ; for 
potash in making soaps, 366 ; bands for 
baling cotton, 365 ; hoops, trade in, 364. 

Hides, to prepare and dress, 286, et seq. 

Highland rice, 669. 

Hippo, Carolina, 152; wild, 151. 

Hock, wine, 272. 

Hogs, fat of, fed on beech, 275 ; Mulberry 
to plant for, 346; plants injurious to, 
126, 230, 277, 427 ; cholera in, 405 ; gum, 
156 : sunflower for, 465 ; food for, 161, 
276; skins to tan, 240 ; acorns for, 305; 
ramie for, 316; b.acon to cure, 372. 

Holly, mucilage and bird lime in, 429 ; ac- 
tion on uterus, 429 ; in colds and coughs, 
429 ; ground, 415 ; emetic, 431. 

Honey, plants yielding poisonous, 421, 501, 
narcotic quality in, 421 ; locust, 229 ; 
suckle, 446; dew, on plants, 122, 321, 
199; Phenomena of, 122; gum, resem- 
bling, 460. 

Hoodwort, 488. 

Hoops for casks, wood for, 65, 275, 306, 
364, 375 ; (see wood.) 

Hop, uses and cultivation of, 319, at seq ; 
substitutes for, 163, 200, 366, 463, 466, 
468; tree, 163; poles, materials for, 275, 
278 ; fibre from, 320 ; beer from, 323 ; 
for tanning, 386 ; corn leaves as 643. 

Horehound, 490 ; in catarrhs, 491 ; water, 
482 ; Hornbeam, 273. 

Horse, chesnut, 90; as suit.able for opium, 
used in place of soap, and for produc- 
tion of starch, 90; tail, 688; gentian, 
446 ; mint, 485 ; nettle, 513 ; fly weed, 
202, 486 ; tail, grass for, 679 ; heal, 458 ; 
fistulse in 688 ; to keep flies from, 202, 
362; pi. causing sores in, 84, 405; 
blindness in, 84 ; salivation in, 163, 204 ; 
radish, 400 ; pi. preventing heaves in, 
460. 

Hound's tongue, 480 ; narcotic properties 
of, 481 ; inducing intoxication, 481. 

Humus, value of, 688. 

Hardle fences, pi. for 377. 

Huckleberry, 422. 

Hybridizing grapes, 249, 271. 

Ilydrastina and Hydrastine, 16. 

Hydrocyanic acid, pi. yielding, 195, 198. 

Hydrophobia, native remedy for, 422, 488, 
489, 490. 

Hygrometer, rustic, 204, 161, 422, 688. 



INDEX. 



713 



\^ 



Hyssop, verntria iu, 508. 

Illicin, 429. 

Illuminating gas, 576. 

Imagination, pi. exciting, 553. 

Imphee, sugar cane, 667. 

Impregnation of pi., singular, 616. 

Incense, pi. furnishing, 235. 

Indelible ink, from plants, 235, 427, 482, 
for bank notes, 698. 

India ink, for bank notes, pi. for 698. 

Indian, cucumber, 608 ; mallows, 102 ; 
physic, 175; tobacco, 438; poke, 606 ; 
hemp, in asthma, 559; meal, 617: coral, 
617; turnips, 619; dye, 15; corn, oil, 
jniper, sugar, bread, soap, soda, potash, 
etc., from, 628, d acq ; bread, 699 ; loaf, 
699 ; millet, 648 ; quinine, 556 ; lettuce, 
556. • 

Indigo, cultivation and extraction of, 208, 
210; method of extracting color from, 
206; wild, 202, 214, 204; sowing of 
seeds, 210; to obtain indigo on planta- 
tions, 213 : price of, 210, 427 ; for family 
use, 204, 210; vat, 205, 212; bastard, 
219; substitute for, 220, 410; Carolina, 
204, (sec Dves;) hostile to flies, 202, 
205; value of, 208, 427; Guatemala, 
208 ; yellow, 427. 

Infection, plants preservative against, 47 

Ink, berry, 428 ; indelible, 235, 406, 427 ; 
from oak galls, 296 ; sympathetic, 350 ; 
red, carmine, 351, 406; black, material 
for, 64, 66, 302, 351 ; indestructible for 
bank notes, 698; root, 479; from elder, 
448 ; stains to remove, 106, 348, 407 

Insect wax, 148. 

Insects, plants noxious to, 18, 154, 178, 
199, 202, 205, 362, 391, 400, 409,448, 
454, 466, 467, 487, 509, 577, 578, 589, 
606, 611; on cotton plant, 108; on 
orange, 130 ; on peach, to prevent, 200, 
178; to relieve bite of, 174, 439 ; powder, 
to destroy, 400; on apple, 178 ; on po- 
tato, 436. 

Instinct, in trees, 501 

Intcrmittents, (see antipcriodics 



Irritants, 145, 310, 403. 

Irritability in plants, 231. 

Isabella grape, 270. 

Issue peas, 128. 

Itch, weed, 606 ; plants applied for relief 
of itch and mange, 405, 421. 

Ivy, bush, 419; American, 273 ; European, 
273 ; to freshen silks, 273 ; gum, 273. 

Jalap, 435; substitute for, 151, 434; 
wild, 21, 434. 

Jamaica bark, 442 ; dogwood, 201 ; kino, 
413. 

Jamestown weed, 549; singular uses of, 
550; soporific and excitant efiFccts of 
smoking, 553. 

Japan clover, new forage plant, 224; in- 
troduction and value of, 225 ; plants of, 
61. 

Jelly, demulcent, 80; from Blackberry, 
172. 

Jerusalem oak, .399, 400 ; artichoke, 4G2; 
as food, substitute for potato, cultiva- 
tion of, for pickles and starch, 463 ; pot- 
ash in, 463 ; forage pi. 462. 

.Jessamine, yellow, 501 ; sedative and 
poisonous properties of, cases of poison- 
ing by, 502 : substitute for digitalis, 502; 
in yellow fever, 502 ; in cough mixtures, 
502 ; active principle of, 504 ; blue, 13 ; 
in tetanus, spasm and trismus, 503. 

.Jew poke, 402. 

Jewel weed, 165. 

Jimson weed, remarkable prop, of, 550, 
553. 

Jointed Cyperus, 684. 

Judas tree, 230. 

June berry, 167. 

Juniper, to season liquors, 189. 

Kalmia, 419; dye from, 216. 

Kelp, plants yielding, 159, 397, 691 ; to 
manufacture, 159, 691. 

Kid gloves, material to tan, 174, 689. 

Kino, sec catechu and astringents. 

Kirschwasser liquor, 188. 

Knot, grass, 410 ; weed, 486; as diuretic, 
486. 

Kyanized timber, 304, 307. 



Into.xication, plants inducing, 318, 319, 

421,466, 467,481, 550, 558 ; plants allay- 1 Lac, resin, 134. 

iug, 59; grass producing, 646; (see | Lactic acid in pi. 510 

Liquors.) 
Introduction, 5. 
Inuline, curious properties of, 459, 470, 

507. 
Iodine, in plants, to manufacture, 691. 
Ippccacuanha, 444 ; sobstitute for, 151, 152, 

175, 396, 403, 440, 444, 561 ; wild, 151, 

446; Cariliua, 152; bastard, 567. 
Iris, 600. 
Irisiii, 601. 
InUiD, 601. 
Irish potato, 514; starch from, 515; light 

from, 514; narcotic properties of, 514; 

potash in, 515. 
Iron, wood, 273, 423 ; rust to remove, 166. 

4:6 



Lactucarium, 47 

Lady's slipper, 603. 

Lambs' quarter, for making soup, 401. 

Lamp black, 296 ; from turpentine, 574, 
580 ; oil for, 229 ; (see oils.) 

Lands to recover, 225, 227, 230. 

Lai-kspur, 18. 

Larch, durability of, 278 ; for tanning, 283. 

Lard, pi. preserving, 352. 

Laudanum, (see opium,) substitute for, 19, 
25, 29, 83, 318, 319. 

Laurel, swamp, 36; ground, 417 ; moun- 
tain, 419 ; narcotic property of, 419 ; 
sheep, 421. 

Laxatives, (sec cathartics.) 



714 



INDEX. 



Leather, to tan (see Tannin,) tanning of 
on plantations, 284 ; et ts&i ; experiments 
with leaves of gum, myrtle and dog- 
fennel, 384; substitute lor, il87 ; prejja- 
ration to preserve, and to make water 
proof, 579 ; wood, 389 ; flowers for, 14, 
386. 

Leaves, to dry, 5 ; influence of chloroform 
on, 231 ; experiments with for tannin, 
384 ; for manures, 583 ; to be collected 
for cavalry horses, C45 ; for beds, 277 ; 
producing intoxication, 481; for fuel, 
583; of corn for paper, 641. 

Lee, Dr. Daniel, method of tanning leather, 
282. 

Legs, wooden, material for, 388. 

Lemonade from citric acid, 348. 

Lemon, to procure citric acid from, 130, 
131, 348 ; oil from, 130 ; constituents of, 
131 ; salt of, 160, 408 ; essence of, 129 : 
to preserve, 129 ; wild, 21 ; diilusiou and 
value of, 225. 

Lcplaudriu, 23, 510. 

Lespcdcza, new forage plant, 224. 

Lettuc, wild, 477 ; Indian, 55G. 

Lichens, 686. 

Life everlasting, 468 ; substitute for hops, 
468. 

Light, influence on leaves, 232 ; material 
lor, (see oils) given out bj' pi., 614. 

Lignum vita;, 165. 

Lily, water, 35 ; of the valley, 612 ; pond, 
35, 131; atamaseo, 599. 

Lime, tree, tea from, and cordage, 121 ; 
brook, 511; ogeechec, 388; grass, 644 ; 
malatc of, 394; phosjjhate of, in plants, 
276, 321, 370, 623 ; binoxalatc of, 237. 

Linnen, pi., to make, 311, 312. 

Linseed oil, uses of, 95, 496, 499 ; substi- 
tute for, 464, 496. 

Cement for porcelain, 95 ; sec, also, oils. 

Liquorice, 50 ; substitute for, 50 ; cultiva- 
tion and preparation of, 50; wild, 52. 

Liquors, from fruit, 42, 156, 170, 178, t'( 
s('(/., 347 ; from carrot, 48 ; from water 
melon, 68 ; to prepare, 184 ; from apjile 
and pear, 178; to flavor, 189, 418; to 
strengthen, 179,466; Ironi cherries, 188; 
from service tree, 188; fr. agave, in Fhi,., 
599 ; from sap of trees, 189, 306 ; from 
birch, 189, 3U6 ; from flower of locust, 
221, 229; from grape, 249, et acq; in- 
toxicating, 319, 466 ; from hop, 323 ; 
from Mulberry, 347 ; cellars for at S 
323; from sassafras, 390 ; Irom poke,404; 
from elder berries, 449 ; from Palmetto, 
605; fr. sugar cane, 650. 

Liriodendrine, 38; in lever, 40. 

Liver, wort, 15; plants acting on (see de 
obstruents and alteratives.; 

Live, fences; (see wedges;) oak, 303. 

Lizard's tail, for poultices, 373. 

Lobelia, 438 ; as a relaxant, 439. 

Lobelic acid, 440. 



Lobeline, 439. 

Locust, tree, yellow, 219 ; varied proper- 
ties of, 220 ; cultivation of for ship build- 
ing, 221 ; for rail road ties, 224 ; liquor 
and dye for silks from, 220; rapid growth 
of, 220 ; honey, 229 ; clammy, 224. 

Long moss, 602. 

Loosestrife, 61. 

Louisiana sugar cane, 667. 

Love apple, vine, 433. 

Lubricators, (see oil.) 

Lucern, 203. 

Lungwort, 506. 

Lupulin, 320. 

Lye, concentrated, to make, 299; to ex- 
tract Irom ashes, and to use in soap 
making, 366, 633, 689, 366, 299, 398 ; (see 
potash and soda.) 

Machine for rasping arrow root 591 ; for 
making sugar, 665, tt seq ; oil for, 229. 

Madder, import, cultivation and uses of a« 
a dye plant, 444 ; subst. for suggested, 
445 ; dye from, 218, 44^1. 

Modeira nuts, for oil and oil cake, 362. 

Mad dog skull cap, 488. 

Maiden hair, 686, 690. 

Magnolia, 38, 39. 

Mahogany, 94; subst. for, 37, 197, 278, 301, 
381 ; mountain, 305. 

Maize, oil, sugar, beer, potash, soda, broad, 
paper, etc., from, 628, et ueq ; method of 
cultivating, 628. 

Malaria, plants neutralizing, 37, 38, 59, 
147, 194, 577 ; barrier against, 573 ; in- 
fluence of pine on, 573 ; Palmella cause 
of, (Salisbury's recent discovery, 093; 
(see, also, Antiperiodics,) caruulic acid 
to prevent, 577. 

Malatc of lime, from purslane, 193. 

Malic acid, 128, 178, 237, 243, 510; plants 
yielding and preparation of, ll/3; from 
barberry, 193. 

Mania, jal. allaying, 549, 607. 

Mallows, 101; Marsh, 102; Indian, 102; 
Manchineel caustic properties ot, 145. 

Mandrake, 21. 

Mange in dogs, pi. fur, 405, 421. 

Mangel- wirzel, 412. 

Mangle, 58. 

Mangrove, 68. 

Manna, vegetable, 123; subsf. fur, 647; 
crop, 681. 

Mannite, 68,156, 510, 511, 614. 

Manures for cotton, Dickson's formula, 

114, 119 ; pi. and leaves for, 583, 682. 
Maple, red, 85 ; sugar, mode of extracting, 
87 ; dye from, 217. 

Maratime scirpus, 685. 

Marcet's exp. on irritabiMty in plants, 231. 

Marions week, 560. 

Marsh club rush, 685 ; mallow, 102, 392 ; 
marygold, 17 ; rosemary, 479 ; grass , 
679. 
Mastcrwort, 46, 47. 



INDEX. 



715 



Marygold, 17. 

Mate, or Paraguay tea, 432. 

Matresses, material for, 113, C02, 604, 024, 

627. 
Mats, material for, 005, 616, 678, 68G. 
Maryland cuuilla, 487. 
Miiy, apple 21, 82; vinegar from, 601; 

pops, 82 ; narcotic property of, 82 ; weed, 

2Si, 4G5 ; liower, 417. 
Meadow, garlic, for pickling and subst. 

for garlic, 611 ; grass, 645 ; sweet, 681. 
Meal, white and red, 617 ; hygienic bread 

from corn, 633 ; plants poisoning, 646; 

from sorghum, 661. 
Meat, plants to preserve. 42, 394, 577,579, 

632, 635; subst. for 228; pi. to make 

tender,^50. 
Medeola, Virginian, 608. 
Medicines, pi. disguising taste of, 458. 
Medicinal, pi. drying of, 5; cultivation of, 

4; for use of soldiers, 7, 482; easily 

procurable, 7. 
Melilot clover, 20.3. 
Melon, water, brandy and syrup from, 68; 

musk, 69. 
Mercury, three seeded, 145 ; substitute 

for, 22. 
Mesquit, grass, 682. 
Methylene, pi. yielding, 418. 
Mexican poppy, 28. 
Mezereon, subst. for, 102, 389. 
Microscope, pi. for, 623. 
Mitoham, gardens of, 4. 
Milfoil mint, 406 ; to prevent caterpillars, 

406. 
Mildew, 53 ; in grape, 254. 
Millet, 648. 
Milk, subst. for, to coagulate, (see Ren- 

nel,) 82, 157, 166, 310, 414, 470, 559 ; to 

increase tiow of, 161, 145, 226, 418 ; sick- 
ness, remedy for, 176; vetch, 204; to 

flavor, 444: to check flow of, 484, 615; 

weed, 561,565; from pumpkin, 68. 
Milkyjuice fr. pi. 565, 501. 
Mint, 481 ; pepper, 482 ; spear, 481 ; from 

pi. 145, 146, 153; round leaved, 482; to 

cultivate, 482; cat, 489. 
Minnesota Rice, 677. 
Mississippi nut, 373, 365. 
Misletoe, 67. 
Mitchella, 443. 

Moccasin, sedative and alterative, 603. 
Mockmocasin, 603. 
Molasses, subst. for, 68; plants yielding, 

350 ; from corn, 640 ; fr. sugar cane, 650, 

057. vt Ke<j. 
Mold, pi. ]jre venting, 577. 
Moonseed, 414. 
Monks-hood, 44. 
Mordaunts, pi. acting as, 238. 
Morphia, (see opium,) 25. 
Morocco and kid leather, to tan, 174, 238, 

243, 282, 689. 
Mosquitoes, pi. preventing, 487, 577. 



Moss, long, in stuffing beds, cushions, etc., 
602 ; rope from, 002. 

Mosses, 686. 

Motherwort, 490. 

Moth mullein, 507. 

Mountain ash, 193 ; berry, 418 ; flax, 91 ; 
laurci, for engraving, 419 ; mahogany, 
305; sumach, 1^3,241. 

Mouse ear, 455. 

Moxa, preparations from cotton, 108; from 
sunflower, 404. 

Mucilaginous plants, native, 59. 101, 102, 
105, 107, 106, 219, 351, 383.' 390, 460, 
470, 481, 492, 494, 509, 647. 

Mucilage and oil in pi., 497, 082. 

Mucuna, su!)st. for, 274. 

Muck, value of, 088. 

Mulberry, to feed silk worms, 324, ci scq.; 
everbearing, 346; to propagate, 346; 
syrup from, 347; m.ania for planting, 
327; Herbcmonts, 340; liquor from, 347; 
French, 491; common, 347; Italian, 
337; for ship building, 348; for paper, 
347, 349. 

Mullein, 505; anodyne and narcotic prin- 
ciple in, 505; in asthma, 500; moth, 
507. 

Murrain, to relieve, 19. 

Muscadine, wine from, 273. 

Mushroom, 094: edible, to select, 095,699; 
to propagate, plan in S. C, 097 ; antidote 
to poisonous, 097; narcotic, 099. 

Musical instruments, wood for, 134. 

Muskmelon, 09. 

Musk, subst. for, 23, 156. 

Musical instruments, wood for making, 
353. 

Mustard, 75 ; cult, and preparation of, 
76; for salad, 75; oil from, 70. 

Myope, rice diet upon, 608. 

Jlyroxylic acid, 324. 

Myrtle, 353: sea, 459; wax from, 354; 
leaves recommended for tanning in place 
of oak bark, 282, 283, 357, 384; soap 
and candles from, 356; to make, 355; 
subst. for hops, 355; blue dye from, 
357. 

Myricinic acid, 355. 

Myricin, 355. 

Naptha 575. 

Narcotics, nafve, 15, 23, 29, 30, 44, 02, 82, 
90, 134, 153, 154, 201, 203, 219, 235,275, 
319, 354, 358, 359, 389, 404, 410, 417, 418, 
420, 421, 427, 446, 450, 458, 465, 468, 
477, 478, 481, 490, 501, 502, 505, 512, 
514, 510, 517, 549, 558, 559,567, 571, 
003, 000, 007, 012, 023, 640, 647, 699. 

Nausea, pi. to allay, 458; nauseants, (see 
emetics.) 

Naval stores, 579 : oauseous odor from pi., 
42. 

Nearsightedness, influence of food upon, 
668. 

Neckwced, 510. 



716 



INDEX. 



Needles, Spanish, 461; Adams, 609. 

Neroli, oil of, 129. 

Nerves, pi. acting on, 488, 501; (see se- 
datives.) 

Nettle, dwarf, 308, 317; experiments upon 
ha3mostatic virtues of, 309, 400; sting- 
ing, 145, 308; cordage and thread from, 
311; Neilghcrry, 312; red, 310; leaf 
vervain, 491; low, 317: horse, 5i;j. 

New Jersey tea tree, 132; an astringent 
and subst. for foreign tea, 133. 

New Lebanon, gardens of, 4. 

Nightshade, deadly, 512. 

Nine bark, 175. 

Nitrate of potash, plants yielding. 400. 

Nitre, plants yielding, 379, 400, 413; to 
prepare, 368, (see potash.) 

Nonesuch, 203. 

Northern ])ine, 684. 

Noyau, 435, 650. 

Nut, oil to procure, 228, 274, 276, 402; 
grass to eradicate, 685; pond, 35. 

Oak, 279; bark to collect for tanning, 280 ; 
et KCfj.; strength of, 298 ; subst. for iu 
tanning recommended, 384; white, 296; 
black, 279; red, 302; quercitron, 279; 
balls, 279; of Jerusalem, 400; Spanish, 
296; poison, 235, 317; extract from to 
tan, 294; live, 303; scrub, potash in, 
583; white, for ship building, 298; ches- 
nut, 305; galls for cure of piles, 296. 

Oat, 679; sea-side, 648; subst. for, 218; 
water, 677. 

Obesit}', pi. preventing, 48. 

Ogeechee lime, 388. 

Oil, nut, 274, 357, 402; olive, cult, and 
preparation of, 567, 570; nature and 
mode of extracting, 370, 497, 570; to 
clarify, 498, 570; of flowers to extract, 
129, 504; fragrant, 275; from lemon, 
J 30; from angelica, 47; from cedar, 589; 
bergamot, 132; press, 96, 143, 496; vola- 
tile, 163, 233, 354, 394, 401, 497, 499, 
fixed, 499; to extract, 496; linseed, 73; 
95, 362; for food, 494; from sumach, 
241; from hazelnut. 274; from beech, 
275; essential, 395,-118,482; blue, 466; 
of gaultheria, 93, 94, 418; from cotton 
seed, 109; aromatic, 47, 233, 275, 306, 
395, 4.S2, 589; from cress, 74; styptic, 
74, 457; painters, 229, 274; from lilly 
of the valley, 612; fr. beech, 275; for 
soaps, 148, 495; for burning, etc., 109, 
66, 73, 144, 150, 161, 229, 275, 362, 404, 
576, 580; from popp}', 24; from Mexi- 
can poppy, 29; from dogwood, 66; from 
camelina, 71; of Neroli, 129; amount 
yielded bv different seeds, 445; subst. 
for olive, '24, 66, 494; castor, 29, 134; 
fetid, 134; acrid, 145, 623; from ground- 
nut, 228; from sassafras, 390; from 
pine, 575, 578; substitute for castor, 
491; from Bene, 493; from hickory 
nuts, 363 ; from sunflower, 464 ; from 



corn, 632 ; cake, 71, 144, 150, 362, 464 ; 
as a lubricator, 141, 229; peculiar 
volatile, 627 ; from corn, 632, 63(5 ; from 
fleabane, 456; diuretic, 457; from mint, 
482, 485; from orange, 128; poisonous 
from darnel, 646 ; pungent from worm- 
seed, 399, 400 ; from mustard, 76 ; from 
locust, 220 ; from St. John's wort, 84 ; 
from tallow tree, 148; from clove, 233 ; 
from hemp, 319 ; from myrtle, 354; from 
walnut, 362. 

Okra, 102; substitute for coffee, 103; 
fibre from, 103; wild, for soup, 80; 
stock for paper, 625. 

Old man's beard, 570. 

Oleinc, 355. 

Olive oil, subst. for, 24, 66, 494 ; Ameri- 
can, 570 ; European, to cultivate and 
extract oil, etc., 567, ct seq.; planted at 
South, 567. 

Ooze, to prepare in tanning, 293. 

Onion, subst. for, 611; tree, 611. 

Opium, poppy, (see narcotics ;) culture of, 
23, 26 ; gum to collect and prepare, 25 ; 
oil from, 24; subst's for, 29, 82, 90, 175, 
201, 319, 490, 515, 603, 611; morphia in 
Virginia, 25. 

Orach, 399 ; sea, 399. 

Orange, 127; and lime in Fla., 130; con- 
stituents of juice, 131; essence and 
wino from, 129; flower water, 128; oil 
from, 128; root, 15; wild, 197; osage, 
119 ; grass, 85 ; bitter, 132 ; Seville, 132. 

Orchard grass, 684. 

Orchis, 602. 

Origanum, 485. 

Osage orange, 119 ; as hedge plant, 120 ; 
as dye stuff, 121; for bows, 120. 

Osier willow, for baskets, 375 ; to culti- 
vate and dress, 377 ; value of, 376. 

Oswego starch, 633. 

Oxalate of potash, 166. 

Oxalic acid, in plants, 407, 465. 

Oxeycd daisy, 467. 

Ozone, 572. 

Packing, material for, 026, 689. 

Painter's, oil for, to procure, 224, 274 ; 
paintings, pi. to cleanse, 438. 

Pain, pi. to relieve, 458, 473, 503, 505, 
552 ; see narcotics. 

Palma Christi, uses, cultivation and ex- 
pression of oil from, 134. 

Palm wine, 605. 

Palmella, cause of malarial fever, 693. 

Palmetto, saw, for mattresses, pillows, 
etc., 604; for hats, 605; to whiten leaves 
of, 605 ; potash in, 605 ; for wharves, 
dates from, 605 ; dwarf, fans from, 605 ; 
wine from, 605; blue. 605; for tanning, 
289; tall, 604. 

Panicum, spiked, 647. 

Papaw, 41 ; influence on meat, 41 ; fi brine 
iu, 42. 

Papoose root, 54. 



INDEX. 



•r 



Paper, native material for making, 14, 
113, SOS, 311, 31'J, 382, 566; to stain, 
421 ; from okra, 625 ; from cotton plant, 
107, 113 ; from mulberry, 347, 349 ; froni 
wood pulp, 382 ; from sunflower, 465 ; 
from agave, 599; from gold of pleasure, 
73; from cotton, 113; Chinese paper, 
from typba, 623 ; from corn leaves, 632, 
634, 641; from corn shucks, 643; from 
sugar-cane, 661; from asclepias, 566; 
from esparto grass, 624 ; from eel grass, 
627 ; from cat-tail, 623 ; stock from 
cano in N. C, manufacture of, 683. 

Paraphine, from beech, 276. 

Pai-egoric, subst. for, 603, 611. 

Parilla., 414. 

Parmenffer, on conversion of starch from 
roots into food, 621. 

Parsley, 45 ; subst. for quinine, 45. 

I'arsnip, cow, 46 ; water, 46. 

Partridge berry, 443; aromatic oil and 
tea from, 418. 

Parturition, pi. provoking, 54, 18, 106, 
423, 429, 443, 446, 608 ; in animals, 61, 
632. 

Passiflorine, 83. 

Passion flower, 82. 

Pastiles, pi. furnishing, 235. 

Pasture grasses, 161, 644, 682. 

Pea, 226 ; as a galactagogue, 226 ; to im- 
prove lands, 227 ; turkey, 218. 

Peach, 198; to dry, 199; to cann, 200; 
aphides on, 199; to prevent injury to 
by insects, new method for the first 
time published, 200 ; brandy and cor- 
dial from, 199 ; leaves to stop bleeding, 
199 ; to secure a crop from, 200. 

Pear, 177 ; to store, 177; to make produc- 
tive, 192. 

Pearl ashes, 299. 

Peat, value of, 688 ; in Virginia and near 
Charleston, 687, formation of, 687; 
subst. for, 583. 

Pecannut, 365, 373. 

Peters wort, 83. 

Pectin, 21, 48. 

Pellitory, 317. 

Penetration of roots of pi., 43. 

Pennyroyal. 487. 

Pennywort, 42. 

Pepper, 511 ; Cayenne, 511 ; water, 409 ; 
grass, 71; mint, 482; production of, 
482 ; bush, 417. 

Perfumery from flowers, 500. 

Persian walnut, 362 ; insect powder, 400. 

Persimmon, uses of, 425; tannin in fruit, 
384, 424 ; beer from, 425 ; vinegar and 
syrup from, 426, 661 ; brandy from, 
426 ; ink from, 427 ; large fruited, 424. 

Perspiration, extraordinary in plants, 
463 ; pi. to lessen, 484. 

Perry, to prepare, 177, 192. 

Peruvian bark, (see anteperiodics) subst. 
for, 46, 63, 94, 374. 



Pestilence, pi. preventing, 47. 

Phacnogamons, pi. 13. 

Phenic acid, to prevent malaria, 577. 

Phloridzine, 176. 

Phosphorescence in pi. 59. 

Pickles, pi. for, 463, 611. 

Picromar, 584. 

Pigments, (see Dyes,) 33. 

Pignut, 364. 

Pigeons, food for, 226 ; poisoned by, 403. 

Piles, remedy for, 460. 

Pillows, (sec matresses.) 

Pimento, subst. for, 355. 

Pimpernel, scarlet, 422; brook, 511, 

Pindar, oil from, 228. 

Pine, long leaved, 572 ; varied uses of, tur- 
pentine, resin, pyroligncous acid from, 
etc., 574, 578, 584; terebene fr. 580 ; in- 
fluence on ozone, malaria, 572, 577 ; 
pitch pine, uses of tar from, 573 ; leaves 
for fuel, 583 ; soap fr. rosin of, 581 ; 
candles fr. 680 ; white, 584 : spruce, 
585 ; loblolly, 585 ; northern, 584 ; subst. 
for, 585; Walter's pine, 585 ; subst. for 
northern. 585; weed, 85; pitch, 584; 
Weymouth, ex])ortof, 584; bark fortan- 
ning, 281 ; potash in, 368, 369, 583 ; leaves 
for burning, 583; distillation from wood 
of, 575; carbolic acid fr., 577 ; dye fr. 
216. 

Pink root, Carolina, 557; intoxication 
caused by, 558. 

Pipes, material for, 616. 

Pipe stems, plants furnishing, 155, 351, 
360, 417; L)utchman's, 395. 

Pipsisseiva, 415, 561 ; astringent, diuretic, 
tonic, 416; subst. for, 443. 

Piquette, to manufacture, 186. 

Pitcher plant, useiu smallpox, 67. 

Pitch, 575 ; pine, 584. 

Plane stocks, material for, 65 ; (see cabi- 
net work.) 

Plantain, 478; water, 615; for tanning, 
386 : snake, 479. 

Plants, (see wood,) to collect and dry, 5 ; 
for cabinet purposes, 37, 41, 65; medi- 
cinal to cultivate, 482 ; easily procura- 
ble, medicinal, 7; to collect for sale, 699 ; 
for wood engraving, 63; softwoods, 11 ; 
luminous property in, 59 ; intoxicating 
fish, 91, 201,410, 506 ; yielding thread, 
(see "fibre:") material for paper, 104, 
347, .349 ; tanning of, 304 ; potash in, (see 
potash:) oil from (see Oil ;) sugar in, 274; 
yielding liquors, (see Liquors;) for tan- 
ning, sec "Tanning;" yielding charcoal, 
see " Charcoal;" see " Poisonous Plant;" 
evolving heat, 620, 622 ; table of potash 
in, 369 : list of those avoided byanimals, 
645 ; yielding gluten, 401 ; fccula into 
separate, 592 ; hybridizing of, 249. 

Pleurisy root, subst. for antimony and 
calomel, 562. 

Plum, cordial, 197; gum from, 197. 



718 



INDEX. 



Podophvlline, 22. 

Poisonous plants, 44, 81, 1-16, 154, 158. 
219, 235, 241. 308, 318, 389, 40.3, 419, 
421, 422, 4:19, 442. 480. 481.512.514, 
517,550. 559. 562, 571, 586, 606, 615. 647. 
690, 697 : pi. neutralizing, 205, 422, 502 : 
poisonous grass, 646. 

Poison, ash, 570; oak. 2.'!5; remedv for, 
236 : sumach, 2.36, 241 : elder, 241. ' 

Polishing material, 351, 455, 689. 

Poke weed, 402 : crimson dye from, 218, 
405 ; potash from, 403 ; to color wine. 
403. 

Pole cat weed. 622. 

Polar plant. 460. 

Poiygalic acid, 20, 92. 

Pomegranate, <il ; for tape worm, 61. 

Pond, lily, 35 ; spice, 393 ; nuts, 35. 

Poplar, 39 ; white for paper, 382 ; for cabi- 
net purposes, 382. 

Pop])y, opium, 23 ; preparation and culti- 
vation of, 24; oil of, 24; Mexican, 28 : 
prickly, 28. 

Porcelain to cement, 95. 

Posts, material for, .349, 224. 391. 501. 

Potash, binox. of, 166, 407: plants yield- 
ing, 35, 47, 159, 274,276,299,309, 321, 
364, 369, 397. 400. 402. 403. 463, 464. 
514, 571,583.681,689; to extract, 366 : 
carl), of, 369 ; to prepare, 368 : relative 
amounts, 368, 369, from weeds :368. 369. 
583 : nitrate of, from corn cobs, 634 ; 
from fuci, 692 : from palmetto, 605. 

Potato, sweet, 435 ; coffee from, 438 ; vine, 
434; cultivation of, 591; starch from, 
435; blistering flies on. 435 ; pi. to en- 
rich, 689 ; to cleanse silk, 438 ; Irish, 
starch from, 515; yam, a substitute, 
435, 619; stem, potash in, 368, 369; 
sugar from, 438; subst. for, 462 ; bread 
from, 435. 

Preserves, fruit for, 68, 171, 172, 176, 200. 
201. 

Poultry, plant far, 161, 506; mulberry for, 
347 ; sunflower for, 464. 

Poultices, strammonium for, 552; swamp 
dragon for, 373 ; narcotic, 647 ; plant 
for, 36, 52, 373: jessamine for, 503. 

Prickly ash, 51. 161, 162; pear, to harden 
tallow, 70; poppy, 28 ; elder, 51. 

Pride of India, 126; as vermifuge and for 
cabinet purposes, 127 ; to destroy moths, 
127 ; to prevent destruction of fruit 
crops by insects now iirst published, 
127, 200. 

Printing blocks, matcral for, 148 ; cali- 
coes, 348, (sec wood engraving.) 

Privet berries, dye from, 214. 

Propylamin. 176, 194; propylamia. 632. 

Prussio acid, plant yielding, 194, 195, 197. 
435. 

Puccoon, 30. 

Pulf ball, edible and narcotic properties 
of,44, 699; substitute for ch]oroform,699. 



Pulse, plant acting on, 19, 483, 502. 559, 
563, 607, 614. 

Pulque, plant in Florida, 599. 

Pump water, to soften, 371. 

Pumpkin, 68 ; to dye with, 218. 

Pungent, plant, 681. 

Pu])sil, plant dilating, 30, 551, (see vis- 
ion.) 

Purgatives, plant supplying, (see cathar- 
tics.) 

Purslane, 156; influence on milk, 157; 
malate of lime from, 193 ; blue color 
from, 157. 

Puttj' root, substitute for gum arabic, 602. 

Putrefaction, plant 2>revcnting, 484, 577, 
(see antiseptics.) 

Pyroligneous acid, 380 ; from pine, 574, 
579 ; vinegar from, 575. 

Pj'romalic acid, 193. 

Quass, manufacture of, 190. 

Quassia. 163; substitute for, 20, 163. 

Qiiasjin, 162. 

Queen's delight, 146. 

Quercitron, 279 ; oak, 279. 

Quinine, (see antiperiods,) substitutes for, 
16, 40, 45, 63, 85, 94. 107, 147, 175, 177, 
239. 278, .362, 374. 410, 428. 429, 442, 
452, 461, 463. 466. 469, 483, 506, 556, 
560, 578 ; adjuvants to, 626. 

Rabbit-foot clover, 204. 

Pi-adish, water, 75. 

Rags, substitute for in making paper, 
113, 625, 642, 683 ; oakra for, 625. 

Rag weed, 461 ; wort, 468. 

Rail roads, material for, 224, 278, 352. 

Ramie, substitute for cotton, cambric, 
etc., 312 ; cultivation of, 313. 

Rancidity, plant preventing, 352. 

Rape, oil from, 495. 

Raspberry, wild, 172. 

Ratafia, cordial, 199. 

Rats, bird time to catch, 429. 

Rattlesnakes' master, 51, 450,599; weed, 
484; plants hostile to, 571. 

Reed, mace, for cotton and paper, 623; 
burr, 625 ; bent grass, 679. 

Red, bird salad, 230; chickweed, 422; 
oak, 302; clover, 203; bay, 37; maple, 
85 ; root, 132. 

Refrigerants, 61, 74, 75, 166, 239, 347, 406, 
407,408, 421,478,614. 

Reeling silk, 344. 

Relaxants, 501, 517, 551. 

Rennet, plants acting as, 82, 157, 166, 308, 
310, 444, 470. 

Resin, from gum, 383 ; from pine, 579 ; 
from cypress, poisonous, 5S6; chibou, 
235 ; candles from, 580 ; from sumach, 
241. 

Revulsives, 310, 512. 

Rhatany, substitute for, 94. 

Rhubarb, substitutes for, 53, 155,406,408, 
434, 557 ; culture of in Southern States, 
411 ; preparation of roots, 412. 



INDEX. 



719 



Khus, antidote for, 486. 

Rib-wort, 479. 

llic'.', C'aioliiiii, use? of, effect in producing 
shortsighteilues.s, 6^6 ; starcli iVoui, 6G8; 
bread troui, 069 ; substitute for coUee, 
6ii'J ; cultivation of in Carolina, 609, 07U; 
varieties of, 671; higliland, 669 ; Cana- 
da, Minnesota, or wild, 677. 

Kobiu, wake, 619. 

Roots, to dry, 5 ; furnishing starch and 
food, 2U4, 6'2' 621, 623; for tanning, 
281. 

Rope, oak, for haling cotton, 363 ; ma- 
terial for, 311, ;;12, 389; fiomlong moss, 
602 ; from mulberry, 347 ; bark, 38U. 

Rose, water, to prepare, 5!J0 ; oil, to pre- 
pare, 5M ; acacia, 224 ; rosemary, 479 ; 
lor tanning, 386,480 ; bay, 419. 

Rosaries, seeds for making, l.'>5. 

Rosin, 579 ; weed, 400 ; to render cloth 
and leather water-proof, 579. 

Rot, in sheep, plant causing, 67, 82. 

Rouge, substitute for, 480. 

Royal fern, 687, 690. 

Rubefacient.'', (see escharotics.) 

Rum, from sugar cane, 650. 

Rumicin, 40S. 

Rue, Turkey, 218 ; goats, 218. 

Russia skins, to tan, 308. 

Rus-h, white, 678 ; sofi, 610; bull, 616. 

Rust, in cotton, 54. 

Ruta baga, oil from, 495. 

Rye, substitute for coffee, 681. 

Saccharine m.i,tter in bread, corns and 
fruit, 179, 185; grasses, 614; see, also, 
wine and sugar. 

Safron, Americjin, 700. 

Sage, 184; culiivation and great profits 
of, 185; to check putrefaction, 184. 

Sago, 572 ; from potato, 435 ; from arum, 
020. 

Salad, subsfs for, 59, 71, 73, 75, 76, 82, 
157, 161, 106, 230, 275. 312, .321, 107, 
472, 475, 177, 552, 566, 00.5, 610, 623. 

Saleratus, 159. 

Salicilatc of methj'lene, 418. 

Saliein, 374 

Saline juices, 399, 407. 

Salivation, caused by plants, 43, 153, 161, 
204, 603 ; plants arresting, 203, 238, 
409,461; see alteratives. 

Saliva, plants tinging, 478 ; increasing, 
439. 

Salsify, milk from, 146. 

Salt, economy in, 372, 394; to make, 372. 

Saltpetre, from beet, 413. 

Saltwort, 59, 397 ; yielding soda, 397 ; 
marsh, 679. 

Sampson's snakeroot, 554. 

Samphire, subst. for, 399. 

Sand paper, subst. for, 455. 

Sanguinaria, 30 ; sanguinariua, 30. 

Sanicle, 42. 

Santonine, 400. 



Sap, liquors from, 189, 300; influence oa 
fruit, 192; sugar from, 80, 358; for 
tanning, 414. 

Saponin, 21, 22, 157, 158, 355, 609. 

Sarracenia, 52, 56, 57 ; sarracenin, 56. 

Sarsaparilla, yellow, 414; wild, 617, 52; 
subst. for, 42, 62, 147, 157, 390, 406, 
414, 447, 470, 501, 616. 

Sassafras, 389 ; subst. for gum arable, 
391; dye from, 216, 390 ; as an altera- 
tive, 390 ; beer from, 391 ; to keep off 
insects, 391. 

Savin, subst. for, 189, 589. 

Saw palmetto, for mattresses and hats, 
604. 

Scabish, 58 ; for tannin, 386 ; luminous 
property, 59. 

Scabwort, 458. 

Scarlet pimj)ernel, 422. 

Schabzieger cheese, 203. 

Scouring rush, 678. 

Scrub oak, potash in, 583. 

Scuppernong grape, to cultivate, 265. 

Scutellarine, 488. 

Sea, myrtle, 459 ; grape, 413 ; orach, 399 ; 
weed, soda, iodiuo and potash from, 
398, 091 ; as manure, 093 ; side oats, 
648; Rope on cultivation of island 
cotton, 117. 

Secalina, plants yielding, 176, 194, 032. 

Sedatives, plants acting as, 18, 19, 30, 39, 
40, 43, 44, 48, 54, 61, 82, 121, 195, 219, 
234, 278, 401, 420, 439, 417, 483, 488, 
490, 502, 507, 510, 549, 559, 563, 686, 
003, 600, 607, 610, 614, 619. 

Seed bos, 00. 

Seeds foreign, to procure, 4; transporta- 
tion of, 193; germinating power, 073; 
and vitality of, 193. 

Selves, wood for, 363. 

Sencgin, 91, 009. 

Seneka snake root, 91, 451 ; subst. for, 20. 

Senna, wild, 329; subst. for 229. 

Sensibilit}' in plants, 231. 

Sensitive jilaur, e.\pcrimeuts with, 231. 

Sorpentana, 393; antiseptic prop, of, 394. 

Service tree, 194 ; drink from, 188. 

Sesame, 492 ; grass, 046. 

Seville, orange, 132. 

Shaddock, 132. 

Shade tree, 194. 

Shell back hickory, 364. 

Sheep, laurel, 421; intoxication from, 
421; sorrel, 406; plants poisonous to, 
417, 421. 

Shepherd's purse, 74. 

Shingles, pi. for, 588. 

Ship building, timber for, 220, 298, 303, 
348, 364, 374, 578, 584, 586, 587, 588; 
(see wood for cabinet work.) 

Shoe, wax to make, 239, 240; wooden 
shoes, 381, 387; lasts, 377; to preserve, 
679. 

Shrub, sweet, 233. 



720 



INDEX. 



Shucks, soap, paper, toda, manufiicturos 

from, 3(56, 035. 
Sidesaddle tlowor, examination and use of, 

56, 57. 
Silene, 157. 
Silk, making, 321, ct seq.; rearing of 

worms and jjrocosses, 325, et scq.; dresses 

to restore, 273, 438, 515; subst. for, 

505; weed for cloth, thread, cushions, 

etc., 500 ; manufacture of, at Economy, 

327; early making of at South, 320; 

history of worm, 324; trees for silk, 324. 

349; food for worm, 163; Virginian, 

505. 
Silica in plants, 370, 455, 688. 
Silver fir, 585. 
Simpler's joy, -192. 

Singular j)roporties of pi., 553, 551, 010 
Sisal hemp, 590 ; to cultivate and prepare 

in Fla., 597; to olcanso and rot the 

librc, 598. 
Skull cap, sedative prop, of, 488, 489. 
Skunk cabbage, 022. 
Slats, wood for, 298. 
Sleep, pi. producing, 19, 500, 550, 553, 

559 ; (see narcotics.) 
Slippery elm, 351. 
Smart weed, 409. 
Smilacino, 017. 
Smut, caused by barberry, 53; in corn, 

632 ; to prevent, 098. 
Snake, head. 507; i)lantain, 479 ; weed,4l: 

bites, pi. in, 91, 51, 439,449,450,477, 

484, 571,599,002. 
Snake roof, 91 ; small, 393 ; heart, 390 ; 

Sasii])son's. 554 ; binck, 18,42; button, 

43, 450 ; Canada, 395. 
Sneeze wort, 396, 457. 
Sneezing, pi. causing, (seo sternutato- 
ries.) 
Snutr, plants to tlavor, 396, 449, 027, (see 

sternutatories.) 
So.apwort, 157. 
Soap, plants furnishinir, 59.82, 90,91, 108, 

127, 14S, 157. 159, :\b\. 303. 306, 309,397. 

578, 009; from cotton seed oil, lOS ; soft 

to make, 160, 370 ; jelly, 160. 371 ; hard, 

159, 371 ; rosin, 370; to make with lye, 

160, 299, 300. 300, 370 ; economical, 160 ; 
ramily, 160, 301, 372: from myrtle ber- 
ries, 356 ; from resin, without grease, 
581; from corn shucks, 369, 635; plants 
acting as, 90, 158, 438; from sea- weed, 
691; from sunflower, 464; from Bene 
and other oils, 495. 

Soda, plants yielding, 158, 397; to manu- 
facture, 159. 398, 692: home made, 159; 
from kelp, 398 ; from corn cobs, 034. 

Soils, pi. to improve, 044. 

Soft rush, 610. 

Salauina, 513; malate of. 514, 515. 

Soldiers, pi. for use among, 453. 

Solferino pink, 218, 405. 

Solomon's seal, 613. 



Sorghum and sorgho Sucre, sugar and 
syrup from to manufacture, 649, ct scq.; 
to cultivate, 665 ; mill for, 663; new pro- 
cess for making sugar, 663 ; vinegar from, 
060 ; bread from 661 ; paper from, 001. 

Sores in horses, caused by, 84 ; in man, 
012. 

Sorrel, deer, 60; salt of, 166; wood, 1G5, 
166; sheep, 400 ; common, 408 ; tree, 417. 

Soup, plant to make, 80, 102, 391, 226, 
228, 402,407, 681. 

Sour wood, 417 ; gum, 380. 

Sow thistle, 477. 

Spanish needles, 461 ; flies, 14; oak, 296. 

Sparkleberry, 422. 

Spartina, rush, 678. 

Spartorie, for baskets, 382. 

Spearmint, 481. 

Speedwell, 509. 

Spermaceti, in plant, 691. 

Spice, bush, 392; pond, tea from, 393. 

Spicy winter green, 418. 

Sjiiders and insects, to relievo sting of, 
439. 

Spigeline, 558. 

Spikenard, 51; American, 62. 

Spiked panicum, 647. 

Spinach, substitute for, 161, 408; (see 
salad.) 

Spindle tree, 154. 

Spirits, from plants, 576, (seo liipiors) ; in- 
flammable, 404, 576. 

Spotted, winter green, 414; eye bright, 
153. 

Spruce, 584 ; hemlock, for t.anning, 585 ; 
black, 584, 586 ; essence of, 580 ; white, 
586; beer, 586; oil of, 584; pine, 585. 

Spurge, 152. 

Spurrey, 161 ; to improve soils and oil 
from", 161, 644. 

Squaw root, 54, 505. 

Squill, substitute for, 611. 

St. John's wort, 83; for tanning, 386; 
causing blindness, 84. 

St. Peter's wort, 83. 

Staff tree, 133. 

Staggers, plant causing, 599. 

Stag horn, sumach, 242. 

Stain, indelible from j)Ia"t, 4S2. 

Starch, plants yielding, 90, 176, 4:)9, 463, 
590, 594, 602, 615;'^ from potato, 435, 
515; to extract and prepare, 594; by 
fermentation, 595 ; to wash and pack 
for sale, 592, 596; from Indian turnip, 
620 ; from roots to be converted into 
bread, 620; from corn, 633; from Solo- 
mon's seal, 613; from rice, 668; from 
wheat, to manufacture, 680 ; to polish, 
200; from artichoke, 463; from arrow- 
root, 591, 594; from china brier, 017. 

Star, flower, 611; grass, 611, 612; wort, 
386. 

Staves, material for, 278. 

Stearine, plants yielding, 148, 150, 370. 



INDEX. 



721 



Steel, pi. acting on, 311. 

Steeple bush, 174. 

Sternutatories, native, 354, .395, .396, 417, 
419, 467, 560, 612. 

Stillingia, cultivation of, tallow from, 148; 
alterative properties of, 146. 

Stimulants, plants yielding (see liquors), 
91, 162, 2.35, 354, 394, 395, 396, 418, 
512, 578, 589, 619, 620, 621, 623, 626. 

Stinging nettle, 145; dwarf, 308, 311. 

Stitch wort, 161. 

Stomachics, native, 602, 611, 626; see aro- 
matics. 

Strammonium, 549; singular and unwar- 
rantable use of, 550 ; to relieve ]kain8 
in loMWr intestines, 551; excitant and 
soporific elfects of smoking seeds, 553. 

Strawbtrry, 172 ; tree, 154. 

Strength of wood, 297. 

Stupor, pi. causing, 447. 

Styptic weed, 230, 234 ; styptics, 73, 155, 
241, 311, 424, 446, 461, 466, 480,483, 
484; beech leaf af, 199 ; oil, 457 ; pow- 
erful, 308. 

Styrax, 427. 

Sudorifics, 52, 152, 158, 161, 176, 389, 447, 
451, 465, 484, 490, 501, 563, 564, 567, 
617. 

Sugar-cane, Chinese, 649, et seq.; paper 
and syrup from, 651 ; wax from, 667 ; 
Louisiana, 667 ; sugar, maple, 85, 86 ; 
to extract sugar from, 87 ; berry, 353 

Sugar, to manufacture, 87, 651, et seq.; 
berry, 353 ; plants producing, 48 ; to 
clarify with vegetable albumen, 103; 
from sap of walnut, 358, 361 ; from 
beet, 412; from sap of trees, 86, 358; 
from carrot, 48 ; from potato, 438 ; from 
silk weed, 566 ; ^o prepare and manu- 
facture from Indian corn, 636, et seq,; 
Naudain & Webb's method, 637, 640 ; 
largo amount in limo grass, 644 ; from 
flowers, 566; Chinese sugar-cane, mo 
hisses and syrup from to manufacture, 
651, et seq.; mill for, 651, 663 ; anti 
septic power of, to crystallize, 653, 663 : 
liquor from, 650 ; new process from 
sorghum and imphec, 063 ; from locust, 
221. 

Sulphur in plants, 317. 

Sumachs, 2.35 ; smooth, 237 ; common, 
241; swamp, 241; subst. for tanning, 
237 ; dwarf, 242 ; poison, 235 ; excres- 
cences from, 237; staghorn, 242; anti- 
dote to poisoning by, 236, 317, 492; 
mountain, 193,241; cultivation of for 
tanning leather, 238, et seq., 243, 245 ; 
and for calico printing in Sicily, 238, 
243 ; as a dye without copperas, 241, 
244; for varnish, 237, 241, 242; new 
and extensive article of trade in Vir- 
ginia, original suggestions of author, 
4, 243, 246 : analysis of, 247, 385 ; to 
gather, 248. 

47 



Sundew, 81, 

Sunflower, 463; extraordinary evaporation 
in, 463; oil, cigars from and cultivation 
of, 464; paper from, 465; potassa and 
oil from, 400, 464; planted as a barrier 
against malaria, 464; swamp, 457; 
moxa fr., 464. 

Swallow wort, 565. 

Swamps, heavy dew in, 122. 

Swamp laurel, 36; dogwood, 66; sunflower, 
457; dragon for poultices, 373; loostrife, 
61; sumach, 241. 

Sweet, birch, 305; gum, recommended for 
tanning leather, 384; leaf, narcotic prop, 
in, 427; valuable color from, 427; shrub, 
233; fern, 357; potato, 435; locust,229; 
flag, 626. 

Sycamore, sugar fr., 361. 

Sympathetic ink, 350. 

Syrup of wil'l cherry, 196; from figs, 350 ; 
from corn, 641; medicated from black- 
berry, 170, 171; from melon, 68; to 
manufacture from Ch. sugar-cane, 650, 
ct seq.; from persimmons, 426; from 
barberry, 53. 

Tall grass, 645. 

Tallow tree, 147, 393; cultivation of, 149 ; 
candles and soap to obtain from, 148; 
to harden, 70. 

Tasnia, pi. hostile to, 61, 75, 163. 

Tannin, plants yielding, (see astringents,) 
to extract, 24.3, 246, 279, 320, 384, 417, 
422, 480, 605; leaves tested for, 283, 
885; (see Rhus, Qucrcus and Liquidam- 
bar;) from sap of plants, 414; in fruit, 
384,424; large amount in witch-hazel, 
63; from sumachs, 2;i7, et seq., 242, 385. 

Tanning leather, plants for, 59, 85, 86, 
174, 238, et seq., 242, 246, 278, 279, 281, 
305, 308, 355, 385, 409, 413, 424, 571, 
585, 605, 627; roots and stems for, 281; 
flowers for, 38G, 479 ; method described 
bj' Dr. Leo, 284; easy method on jilan- 
tations, 281; method from So. Cultiva- 
tor, 293 ; leaves suggested to be used 
in, 200, 384, 470; myrtle for, 385: dog 
fennel and sweet gum for, 384, 454; 
leaves and flowers suitable for, 83, 194, 
200; sap of pi. for, 414. 

Tansy, to prevent caterpillar, 466, 467. 

Taming of plant, 304. 

Tanya, indelilile dye from, 406. 

Tape worm, j)lant useful for, 61, 68, 75, 
163, 684, 989; grass singular propaga- 
tion of, 616. 

Tar, 573 ; wafer, 573, 584 ; beooh, 276. 

Taraxacin,472. 

Taraxaum, uses of, 471. 

Tare, 226. 

Tartaric acid in pljint, 347, 407. 
Tarts, plant for, 201. 

Taurine, from asparagus, 614. 

Tea, antisj)asmodic from tilia, 121 ; from 
motherwort, 490; Chines?e tea plant, 



722 



INDEX. 



123; cultivation of, 124; growing in 
South Carolina and Georgia, 124, 125; 
from blackberry, 172; New Jersey tea 
tree, 132 ; demulcent and aromatic from 
sassafras, 391 ; Paraguay, 432 ; flavor 
of green tea, 124, 401, 600 ; blade, 636; 
from spice bush, 393; from winter green, 
418, 428 ; from cassina, 431 ; from holly, 
429 ; from golden rod, 458 ; from pink 
root, 558. 

Teeth, plant to whiten, 64. 

Telegraph poles, wood for, 588. 

Torebene and turpentine, 580. 

Tetter bush, 417. 

Textile plants, see "Fibre" and "Cotton." 

Thatch, plant for, 605, 689. 

Thermal belt, for grajje, 272. 

Thirst, plants allaying, 417. 

Thistles, 469 ; yellow, 28 ; potash in, 369, 
469. 

Thorn, 176; apple, 28, 549; Washington, 
198; purple, 554; from palmetto, 605. 

Thorough wort, 451 ; purple, 453. 

Thread from plants, see " Fibre," 311, 319, 
565, 566. 

Thyme, 486. 

Tickwced, 487. 

Tildcn & Co., gardens of, 4. 

Tileul, substitute for soothing tea from, 
121. 

Timber, best time to fell, 280, 304; to 
season, 298, 304, 581; relative strength 
of, 298, 304; density of, 297, 304; eft'ect 
of season and soil upon, 304 ; selection 
of, 304, 588; height of, 304; for ship 
building, 298, 303, 374, 588 ; to preserve, 
304, 305, 582 ; for charcoal, 378 ; cy- 
press as, 588. 

Timothy grass, peculiarity of seed, 648. 

Tinkers' weed, 446. 

Tinder, material for, 506. 

Titi, for pipe stems, 155, 351, 417. 

Tobacco, 516 ; substitute for, 410, 4.39, 501; 
to flavor, 66, 200, 242, 396, 449, 627; 
potash in, 369, 517 ; substitute for in 
asthma, 501, 506, 551 ; methods of 
planting, rearing, cultivating and pre- 
paring for market, 518, ft seq.; harvest- 
ing and curing. Bibbs &, Co.'s apparatus 
for, 549 ; nicotine in varieties, 517 ; 
Indian, 438 ; coffee an antidote for, 517. 

Tomato, 515; to remove iron rust, 516. 

Tonics, from native plants, 16, 20, 33, 35, 
37, 40, 56, 63, 65, 81. 173, 174, 175, 195, 
218, 382, 394, 414,415, 417, 428, 447, 
451, 459, 465, 469, 477, 486, 489, 490, 555, 
556, 557, 562, 571, 600, 602, 606, 609, 611, 
626 ; formula for, 65. 

Tool handles, wood for, (see "cabinet 

Toothache, remedy for, 91, 163, 20l, 359, 
418, 489, 513, 603; bush, 51, 161. 

Torch wood, 235. 

Touch-me-not, 165. 

Trays, material for, 888. 



Traveller's joy, 14. 
Treacle, from carrot, 48. 
Trees, height, strength, etc., (see " Tim- 
ber,") 298, 304, 588; potash in, 299. 
Tree nails, wood for, 220. 
Trefoil, 204. 
Tripterella, blue, 600. 
Trocar, vegetable, 559. 
True blue grass, value in enriching lands, 

681. 
Trumpet flower, 500. 
Tubing, material for, 683. 
Tuckahoe, 572, 699. 
Tulip, tree, 39 ; poplar, 39. 
Tupelo, 386; for making utensils, shoes, 
etc., 387 ; for wooden legs, 388 ; white, 
388. 
Turkey pea, 218, 
Turmeric, 15. 

Turnip, oil from, 495; Indian, 619. 
Turnsole, 274, 306, 480. 
Turpentine, extraction, uses, etc., of, 
575, 578; soap from, 581; effects upon 
system, 578; to render leather and 
cloth water-proof, 579; terebene from 
as a burning fluid, 580 ; employed ex- 
ternally in fevers, 578. 
Twine, material for, 103, 610; (see Cor- 
dage.) 
Twinleaf, 20. 
Type, material for, 178. 
Ulmin, 352, 

Ultra-marine blue, fVom plants, 614. 
Umbrella, tree, 39; wood for handles of, 

276. 
Unicorn root, 611 ; false, 606, 700. 
Urine, pi. coloring, 70 ; fetid, 80. 
Urtication, 310, 

Uterus, influence of cotton seed on, 105 ; 
black snak«root on, 19 ; cotton root on, 
105; decodon on, 61; corn on, 631 ; co- 
hosh on, 18, 55 ; viburnum and witch 
hazel on, 62 ; black haw on, 447. 
Uva ursi, subst. for, 416, 418. 
Valerian, subst. for, 504, 603. 
Valerianic acid, 447, 465. 
Valisneria, singular fecundation of, 616. 
Vanilla, native, subst. for, 199, 604; wild, 

449. 
Vapor, poisonous from plant, 237, 241, 

501. 
Varnishes, plants yielding, 235, 237, 241 ; 

oil to prepare for, 498. 
Vats for tanning, 288. 
Vegetables, Calendar, to pi. for a constant 

supply, 700. 
Vegetable, stearine, 148, 150, 370; wax, 

354, see "oil;" acids, 407- 
Velvet leaf, 162. 

Veneering, material for, 14, 275, 
Venus, fly-trap, 36. 
Veratria in pi., 508. 

Veratrum, viride and veratria, 607 ; mode 
of using as a sedative, 608. 



INDEX. 



723 



Verbena, 492. 

Vermifuges, native, 40, 41, 48, 61, 68, 126, 

154, 166, 157, 163, 172, 218, 359, :',9:',, 

399, 401, 441, 467, 490, 501, 507, 50S, 

558, 501, 578, 586, 589, 606, 689. 
Verjuice, 176. 
Veronica, 510. 
Vervain, 491, 492. 
Vertigo, plant producing, 19, 34, 163, 235, 

275, 501. 
Vesicants, see Escharotics, 13, 14, 152, 

465, 615, 620. 
Vetch, 226. 
Viburnic acid, 447. 
Violet, <!bmmon, 80 ; hand leaved, SO ; 

dogs's tooth, 609; blue, for soup, 80. 
Vinegar, native material for, (see Su- 
mach,) 238 ; from honey, 351 ; tig, 351 ; 

from beet, 412 ; from persimmon, 426 ; 

from pyroligneus acid, 575 ; from Ch. 

sugar-cane, 660 ; from watermelon, 68 ; 

from apple, 178; purity of, 178. 
Vine, grape, 249, et neq./ wine from, to 

make, 255, et aeq.; poison, 235 ; sensi 

tive, 231. 
Violet, 79, 80. 
Violine, 79. 
Virgin's bower, 14. 
Virgineic acid, 92. 
Virginia, exploitation of sumach in, 243, 

246. 
Virginian, veronica, 510; lycopus, 483; 

cress, 71 ; swallow wort, 565; silk, 565; 

medeola, 608; creeper, 273; strawberry, 

173 ; raspberry, 172. 
Vision, plant acting on, 501, 553, 623, 647, 

668. 
Vitality in plants, 193. 
Volatile oil, peculiar, 627. 
Vomiting, plants allaying, 68, 481, 485, 

606; plant causing, 67. 
Vulnerary, plant acting as, 422, 423. 
Wake, robin, 619. 
Walnut, 358, 359; sugar and oil from, 358, 

361 ; leaves as alteratives, 359 ; for gun 

stocks, 360 ; Persian, 362 ; dye from, 

217, 360. 
Wahoo, 154, 353; rope and cordage from, 

353. 
Walters' pine, 585; grass, 078; FloraCaro- 

liniana, 557, 678. 
Warts, plants destroying, 484, 559. 
Washing, economical mode of, 371. 
Washington thorn, 176, 198. 
Waterproof, material, 95 ; costing, 95. 
Water, to purify, 371, 380; chickweed, 
386; cress, 75; distilled, 449; for wash 

ing, 371; fescue, 681; flaxseed, 628; 

horehound, 482; lily, 35; melon, S3'rup 
from, 68; pejjper, 409; radish, 75; 
witch hazel, to detect, 62; plantain, 615j 
grass to prevent encroachment of, 381, 
376; chinquapin, 35; grass, 42; parsnips, 

46; poisoned by plant, 318; oats, 677 



Wax, insect, 148 ; to obtain from myrtle, 
354 ; native of from myrtle, 353, 355 ; 
from sugar cane, 667. 

Weather, plant indicating, 422, 161. 

Weeds, as manure and to prevent spread 
of, 583; alkaline salts in, 369. 

Weed, fever, 43 ; white, 467. 

Weeping willow, .381. 

Weymouth pine, uses of, 584. 

Wharves, wood for, 307, 605. 

Wheat, gluten and starch from, 679 ; sub- 
stitute for, 649; potash in, 369, 681; 
from Doura corn, 649 ; ashes of, 369, 
370 ; plant injuring, 684 ; smut in, 53, 
370; poisoned, 647; coffee from, 681; 
soap from, 681 ; effects of barberry upon, 
53. 

Wheels, wood for, 353, 363. 

White, hellebore, 606; alder, 417; ash, 
571; weed, 467 ; pine, 584; cedar, 588; 
beech, 275; avens, 173; oak, bailing 
for cotton, 296; elm, 362; weed, 467; 
wood, 39 ; poj)lar, 39 ; spruce, 586 ; 
rush, (i78; cohosh, 20; sorrel, 165; clo- 
ver, 204; willow, 376; poplar, 381. 

Whortleberry, cordial from, 422. 

Wicks, lami>, plant for, 616. 

Wild, chamomile, 465 ; carrot, 49 ; cherry, 
190 ; syrup of, 19G ; coilce, 446 ; cur- 
rant, 194; endive, 473; ginger, 395; 
rose, bay, 419; horehound, 454 ; hippo, 
151; indigo, 202, 214; comirey, 480; 
ippecac, 151, 446 ; jalap, 21, 434; let- 
tuce, 477 ; lemon, 21; flax, 610; liquor- 
ice, 52 ; orange, 197 ; potato vine, 434 
raspberry, 172; rice, 677 ; sarsaparilla, 
52,617; senna, 229; strawberry, 172 
yam, 618; vanilla, 449; garlic, 611 
pansy, 80 ; cinnamon, 156 ; clover, 204 
225 ; allspice, 392. 

Willow, 374 ; osier, 375 ; purple, 375 ; for 
baskets, 377; to cultivate, 375; red, 66; 
herb, 59 ; black, 374; swamp, 374 ; dye 
from, 216; weeping, 381. 

Winds, plant to obstruct, 375. 

Wine, from native grape, to manufacture, 
252, 264, ct seq.,- cellars for, 250, 257 ; 
Prof. Jacksons' plan of making wine, 
250 ; from grape leaves, 255 ; Prof. 
Hume's method, 251 ; frombullace, 273 ; 
in California, 200 ; red, 262 ; fermenta- 
tion of, 258; hock, 272; from orange, 
129; blackberry, to make, 168; medica- 
ted from blackberry, 168, 170; from 
sap of birch, 306, 308; from mulberry, 
347; to color, 403; sugar in, 249; do- 
mestic, 264; claret, 272 ; to fine, 275 ; 
from palmetto, 605. 
Wing-rib sumach, 241. 
Winter, berry, 428 ; green, 414, 415, 418. 
Wire grass 678. 
Witch hazel, 61 ; in detecting water, 62 ; 

large amount of tannin in, 63. 
Woad, substitute for, 280, 458. 



'24 



INDEX. 



Wolf's banc, 44. 

Wood, native, for onccraving. 66. 134. IIS, 
194. 178,229, 274, :?06, 419, 422, 4;U. 
587 ; soft and bard for uirtnufsicturing 
purposes, 10. S9, (v'), 194. 273, 'MG, 863, 
3S6, 3S9, 422, 584, 57S, 5Sl>, 5S8 ; fori 
cabinet and manufacturing purposes,! 
37. .•^9.65, 85, 94, 197, 220, 229, 230, 274,1 
275, 297, 303, 306, 307. 352. 353, 358, 300,; 
361, 363, 374. 3S7, 419, 431, 571, 578,: 
584, 6S6, 587. 589 ; strengtb of libre ot;! 
223, 298, 304; dye from, (see dyes;) for 
submerged work, 307, 3(53, 381, 605 ; 
relative density of, 304, 363, 386, 419, 
423 ; influence of soil upon, 304 ; for fuel. 
274, 365, 574 ; duration of, 277, 278 ; im- 
pregnated with sulph. of copper, and 
method, 307, 581 ; to preserve by chemi- 
cal agencies, 5S2 : kyanizing of, 307 ;for 
ship building, 220, 222. 297, 298, 303, 
348, 352, 363, 365, 374, 578, 584, 587, 
588; for gun powder, 379; for paper, 
382 ; for gunstocks, 360 ; to season, 361 ; 
distillation of, 575 ; for posts and fences, 
221, 352, 358, 363 ; material for artiticial 
limbs, 388 ; anemone, 14 ; sorrel, 165 ; 
for baling cotton, 363; for charcoal, 
378, 576 ; for shoes, 387. 



Wood-bine, 446. 

Works consulted, p. 1. 

Wool, method of dyeing and pis. for, 215, 
(seo silk) vegetable, 312; to preserve, 
450. 

Worm seed, 390. 

Worm wood, for supplv of potash, 369, 
402. 

Worms, pi. producing, 401. 

Wooruri poison, from plant, 559. 

Wounds, pi. to pj-evont flies, on, 448. 

Xanthopiorito, 162. 

Xanthoxylin, 162. 

Yam, 619; Chinese, 435, 619 ; wild, 618 ; 
root, wild, to cultivate and store, 618. 

Yarrow, wild, 466 ; to arrest bleeding and 
inoreasn strength of liquor, 466. 

Yaupon, tea from, 431. 

Yawroot, 146. 

Yeast, material for, 275. 

Yellow, clover, 203; lady's slipper, 608; 
locust tree, 219 ; mocason, 603 ; thistle, 
28 ; parilla, 414; root, 15, 20; star grass, 
612; sarsaparilla, 414 : water, 64 : bal- 
sam tree, 155 ; wood, 201; water, 358; 
wood for dye, 427 ; jessamine, 251 ; go- 
rardia, 509. 

Yew, Floridii, 586. 



INDEX 



BOTANICAL NAMES 



GENERA AND SPECIES. 



Abies balsamea, 585. 

" canadensis, 585. 

" nigra, 586. 

" alba, 586. 
Abutilon avicennac, 102. 
Acalypha Virginica, 145. 
Acer rubruin, 85. 

" saccharinum, 86. 

" negundo, 361. 
Achillea millefolium, 466. 
AchyranthcH repcns, 396. 
Aconitum uncinatum, 4.1. 

" rcclinatura, 44. 

Acorus calamus, 626. 
Actasa racemosa, 18. 

" pachypoda, 20. 

« alba, 20. 

" brachipetala, 19. 
Adiontum pedatum, 686, 690. 

" capillus veneris, 686. 

^cidium, 54. 
iEsculus pavia, 90. 
Agave Virginica, 599. 

" sisalina, 596. 

" pulque, 599. 
Agaricus campcstris, 694. 

" ovatus, 698. 

Agrimonia enpatoria, 173, 386. 
Agrostis stolonifera, 645. 

" perennans, 678. 

Aletris farinosa, 611. 

" aurea, 612. 
Alianthus glandulosa, 163. 
AlgsB, 686, 691. 
Allium Canadense, 611. 

" Carolinianum, 611. 
Aliama plantago, 615. 

" trivialis, 615. 

" parviflora, 615. 
Alnus glutinoaa, 307. 



AlnuB serrulata, 307, 415. 

" viridis, 307. 
Alopecurus pratensis, 645. 
Amarillis atauasco, 599. 
Ambrosia trifida, 461. 

" artemisaefolia, 461. 

Amelanchior Canadensis, 194. 
Amianthum muscsetoxicum, 606. 
Ammi majus, 46. 
Amophila arcnaria, 679. 
Amorpha fruticosa, 219. 
Ampolopsis quinquefolia, 248, 273. 
Amphicarpa monoica, 227. 
Amygdalus communis, 198, 196. 
Amyris Floridana, 235. 
Anacharis Canadensis, 616. 
Anagallis arvcnsis, 422. 
Anchusa tinctoria, 151. 
Andromeda augustifolia, 417. 

" arborea, 417. 

" ligustrina, 417. 

" mariana, 416, 417. 

" niti 'a, 384, 417. 

" speciosa, 417. 

" acuminata, 417. 

Andropogon scoparius, 647. 

' sorghum, 651. 

Anemone nemorosa, 14. 

* hepatica, 15. 

Anethum fa-niculum, 48. 
Angelica lucida, 47. 

' triquinata, 48. 

Anona triloba, 41. 
Anthemis cotula, 465. 
Anthoxanthum odoratum, 392, 643. 
Antennaria margaritacea, 467. 
Apium graveoleus, 45. 

' petroselinum, 45. 
Aplcctrum hiemale, 602. 
Apocynum cannabinum, 659. 



726 



INDEX. 



Apocynum androsajinifol. 561. 

" pubescens, 559. 
Arachis hypogsea, 227. 
Archangelica hirsuta, 48. 
" triquinata, 48. 
Arethusa bulbosa., 603. 
Aralia spinosa, 51. 
" nudicaulis, 51, 52. 
" raeoinosa, 52. 
" hispida, 53. 
Argemone Mexicana, 28. 
Arisaema atroreubens, 619. 

" triphyllum, 619. 
Aristida, 678. 

Aristolochia serpentaria, 393, 562. 
" hastata, 394. 

" sipho, 395. 

" tomentosa, 895. 

Arnica nudicaulis, 468. 

" montana, 468. 
Aronia botryapium, 194. 
Artemisia caudata, 400. 
Arrhenatherum avenaceum, 682. 
Arundo arenaria, 645, 679. 
Arundinaria gigantca, 682. 
" macrospcrma, 682. 
" tecta, 683. 
Arum maculatum, 619, 621. 
" triphyllum, 619. 
" Virginicum, 621. 
Asarum Virgi"icum, 396. 
" Canadense, 395. 
" arifolium, 396. 
Asclepias variegata, 565. 
" curassavica, 567. 
" decumbens, 562. 
" incarnata, 565. 
" verticillata, 565. 
" tuberosa, 562. 
" cornuti, 565. 
" syriaca, 565. 
" obtusifolia, 565. 
Ascyrum Crux-andraj, 83. 

" multicaule, 83. 
Asimina triloba, 41. 
Asparagus officinalis, 613. 
Aster tortifolius, 455. 
" cordifolius, 455. 
" linarifolius, 455. 
" puniceus, 455. 
Astragalus boeticus, 204. 
Atriplex laciniata, 399. 

" hastata, 398. 
Atropa physaloidea, 516. 
Avena sativa, 679. 
Azalea pontica, 421. 
Baccharis halimfolia, 459. 
Baptisia bracteata, 202. 
" leucophaea, 202. 
" tinctoria, 202. 
Batatas edulis, 435. 
Batis maratima, 397. 
Batschia canescens, 33. 
Benzoin odoriferum, 392. 



Berboris Canadensis, 53. 

" vulgaris, 53. 
Beta vulgaris, 412. 
Betula alba, 308. 

" nigra, 306. 

" rubra, 306. 

" lenta, 305, 418. 

" lanulosa, 306. 
Bidens bipinnata, 461. 
Bignonia capreolata, 500. 

" catalpa, 501. 

" crucigera, 500. 
Bletia verecunda, 602. 

' aphylla, 602. 
Bcehmeria nivea, 312. 

" tenacissima, 312. 
" candicans, 317. 
Brassica oleracea, 495. 

" campestris, 495. 
Broussonetia papyrifera, 349. 
Bromus secalinus, 683. 

" purgans, 684. 
Bumclia lycioides, 423. 
Bursera gummifera, 235. 
Buxus sempervirens, 134. 
Cactus cochinilifer, 70. 

" opuntia, 70. 
Calamagrostis, 679. 
Callicarpa Americana, 491. 
Callitriche verna, 386. 

" heterophylla, 386. 
Caltha palustris, 17. 

" parnassifolia, 17. 
Calycanthus Floridus, 233. 
Calystegia sepium, 438. 
Camelina sativa, 71. 
Canella alba, 156. 
Cannabis sativa, 317. 
" Indica, 318. 
Canna flacida, 615. 

" coccinea, 615. 
Capparis spinosa, 79. 

" Jamaicensis, 79. 

" cynophallophera, 79. 
Caprifolium, 446. 
Capsella bursa-pastoris, 74. 
Capsicum annuum, 511. 
" frutescens, 512. 
" baccatum, 512. 
Carex acuta, 624, 686. 
Cardiospermum kalicacabum, 90. 
Carica papaya, 42. 
Carpinus betulus, 274. 

" sylvestris, 274. 
Carya amara, 362. 

" olivajformis, 373. 

" porcina, 362. 

" alba, 362. 

" myristieteformis, 373. 
Caryophilus, 233. 
Cassia occidentalis, 230. 

" Caroliniana, 230. 
" chamaecrista, 230. 

'■' hirsuta, 230. 



INDEX. 



727 



Cassia Marylandica, 229. 

" tora, 230. 
Castaiiea pumila, 277. 

" vesca, 277. 

Catalpa cordifolia, 501. 

" bignonioides, 501. 

Caulophyllum thalictroides, 54, 278. 
Ceanothus Americanus, 132. 
Celastrus scandens, 133. 
Celtis occidentalis, 353. 

" Australis, 353. 
Centaurea benedicta, 4:69. 
Cephalantbus occidentalis, 443. 
Cerasus serotina, 195. 

" Caroliniana, 197. 
Cercis Canadensis, 230. 
Chiococca raccmosa, 18, 445. 
Ciouta maeulata-, 44. 

" virosa, 45. 
Cimicifuga raccmosa, 18. 
Citrus aurantium, 127, 348. 

" acida, 131. 

" bergamia, 132. 

" decuman a, 132. 

" vulgaris, 132. 

" medica, 132. 

•' flmonum, 130, 348. 
Chamajlirium Carolinianum, 606. 

" luteum, 606. 

Chamajrops palmetto, 604. 

" serrulata, 591, 604. 

" hystrix, 605. 

Chelone glabra, 507. 
Chenopodium anthclminticum, 399. 

" ambrosioides, 401. 

" vulvaria, 401. 

'i album, 401. 

" botrys, 400. 

" maratimum, 397. 

Chimnphila maeulata, 414. 

" umbellata, 415. 

Chionanthus Virginica, 570. 
Chironia, (see Centaurea,) 556. 
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, 467. 
Cichorium intibus, 473. 
Citrus aurantium. 

" limonum. 
Cladrastis tinctoria, 201. 
Clematis crispa, 13. 
" viorna, 14. 
" Virginiana, 14. 
" cylindrica. 13. 
Clethra tomentosa, 384, 417. 

" alnifolia, 385, 417. 
Cliftonia ligustrina, 155. 
Clusia flava, 155. 
" rosea, 156. 
Cnicus benedictus, 469. 
Coccoloba uvifera, 413. 

" Floridana, 413. 
Coffea Arabica, 444. 
Collinsonia Canadensis, 236, 486. 
" anisata, 487. 

" scabra. 487. 



Commelina communis, 614. 
Comptonia asplenifolia, 357. 
Convallaria multiflora, 613. 
" biflora, 613. 

" majalis, 612. 

" polygonatum, 613. 

Convolvulus macrorhizus, 434. 
" batatas, 435. 

" jalapa, 435. 

" panduratus, 434. 

" dissectus, 435. 

Coprosmanthus herbaceus, 618. 

'* peduncularis, 618. 

Corallorrhiza adontorrhiza, 603. 

" hiemale, 602. 

Cornus Florida, 63. 
" sericcea, 66. 
" sauguinea, 66. 
" stricta, 66. 
" circinata, 66. 
Corylus rostrata, 274. 
" Americana, 274. 
" avellana, 275. 
Corypha palmetto, 604. 
Cratajgus crus-galli, 176. 

" cordata, 176, 198. 

Croton balsamiferum, 134. 
" lacciferum, 134. 
" maratimum, 134. 
" tiglium, 134. 
" sebifera, 147. 
Cryptogamia, 686. 
Ctenium Americanum, 681. 
Cucumis citrullus, 68. 
" pepo, 68. 
" melo, 69. 
" sativus, 69. 
Cucurbita lagenaria, 69. 
Cunila mariana, 487. 
Cupressus disticha, 587. 
" thyoides, 588. 

Cuscuta Americana, 433. 
" compacta, 433. 
" cornuti, 433. 
" vulgivaga, 433. 
Cynara scolymus, 470. 
Cynoglossum Vii-ginicum, 480. 
" officinale, 481. 

" amplexicaule, 480. 

Cyperus articulatus, 684. 
" virens, 684. 
" odoratus, 684. 
" hydra, 685. 
" repens, 684. 
Cypripedium pubescens, 603. 
" acaule, 603. 

" spectabile, 603. 

" parviflorum, 603. 

Cyrilla racemitiora, 155. 
Dactylis glomerata, 684. 
Dasistoma pubescens, 509. 
Datura stramonium, 549. 

" tatula, 554. 
I " metel, 554. 



728 



INDEX. 



Daucus, carota, 48. 

" pusilus, 49. 
Decodon verticillatum, 61. 
Delphinium consolida, IS. 
" exaltatum, 18. 

Diorvila trifida, 446. 

" Canadensis, 446. 
Digitaria dactylon, 647. 
Digitalis purpurea, 508, 
Dilatris tinctoria, 600. 
Dionasa muscipula, 36. 
Dioscoreft battatus, 435, 619. 
" villosa, 618. 
" sativa, 619. 

" alata, 619. 

Diospyros Virginiana, 385, 423. 
Diplopappus linarifolius, 455. 
Dirca palustris, 389. 
Discopleura capillacea, 46. 
Dodonaia visoosa, 90. 
Dracoeephalum variegatuiu, 489. 
" Virginianuni, 490. 

" Amoricanum, 489. 

Draoontium fo3tidum, 622. 
Drosera rotundifolium, 81. 
Echitcs difformis, 559. 
" suberecta, 559. 
Eclipta erecta, 462. 

" procumbens, 462. 
Eleocharis palustris, 685. 
Elymus aronarius, 614, 679. 
Epilobium angustifoliuiu, 59. 
Epiphagus Americana, 505. 
Epidendrum, 604. 
Epiga?a repens, 417. 
Equisetum Itevigatum. 688. 
" hiemiale, 689. 
" arvenso, 589. 
Ereothites hieracifolia, 468. 
Erigeron annuum, 457. 
" Canadcnse, 455. 
" Philadclphicum, 457. 
" pusilum, 457. 
" strigosuni, 457. 
Eryngium aquaticum, 43. 

" yuccivfoliuni, 43, 600. 

" foetidum, 43. 

" aromaticum, 43. 

" maratimum, 43. 

Erythronium Americanum, 609. 
" lanceolatum, 609. 

Erythrina herbacea, 202. 
Erysimum, 74. 

" officinale, 75. 

Eugenia, 233. 
Euonj'mus Americanus, 154. 

" artopurpurcus, 154. 

Eupatorium perfoliatum, 33, 451. 
" rotundifolium, 45- 

" purpureum, •153. 

" tcucrifolium, 454. 

" verbcnivfolium, 454. 

" fa^niculaceum, 384, 454 

Euphorbia corollata, 151. 



Euphorbia helioscopla, 153. 
" hyporicifolia, 152. 

" ippecacuanha, 152. 

" maculata, 153. 

" thymifolia, 154. 

Exostemma caribinum, 442. 
Fagus sylvatica, 275. 
" Americana, 275. 
" feruginoa, 276. 
" sylvestris, 276. 
Festuca, 681. 

" duriuacula, 682. 
Ficus carica, 349. 
Filices, 686. 

Ffcniculum officinale, 46. 
Fostcronia difFormis, 559. 
Fragaria vosca, 172. 

" Virginiana, 173. 
Frangula Caroliniana, 133. 
Frasera Walteri, 556. 

" Caroliniensis, 556. 

Fraxinua acuminata, 571. 
" Americana, 571. 

" excelsior, 571. 

Fuci, 686, 691. 
Fucus sorratus, 691. 
. " vesiculosus, 691. 
Fumaria officinalis, 34. 
Fungi, 694. 
Galium trifidum, 444. 

" verum, 444. 

" hispidulum, 444. 

" tinctorium, 441. 

Gardenia pubescens, 123. 
" lasianthus, 123. 
Gaultheria procumbens, 306, 418. 
Gelseminum semporvirens, 501. 
Gentiana Oatosbaei, 554. 
" ochroleuca, 556. 

" lutea, 324, 555. 

" purpurea, .324, 555. 

" Elliottii, 554. 

" saponaria, 556. 

" quinqueflora, 556. 

Geranium maculatum, 164. 
Gerardia flava, 509. 

" purpurea, 509. 
Geum Virginianum, 173. 
" Carolinianum, 173. 
Qillenia tomentosa, 174. 
" trifoliata, 175. 
" stipulacca, 176. 
Gleditschia triacanthus, 229. 
Glyceria fluitans, 681. 
Glycoria tomentosa, 218. 
Glycyrrhiza glabra, 50. 
" Icpidota, 50. 

Gnaphalium margaritacoum, 468. 
" polyoephalum, 468. 

Goodyera pubescens, 604. 
Gonolobus macrophyllus, 562. 
Gossypium herbaccum, 104. 
Gratiola officinalis, 508. 
" aurea, 508. 



INDEX. 



729 



Gratiola Virginica, 50S. 
Guaiacum sanctum, 165. 
Gyromia virginica, 608. 
Hamiltonia olcifera, 402. 
Hamamclis virginica, 61, 4-17. 
lledeoma pulegioides, 487. 
Hcdera helix, 273. 
Hcdyotis, 445. 
Helenium autumnalc, 457. 
Ilclianthus tuberosus, 462. 

" aunuiis, 463. 
Ilelianthemum Cauadense, 81. 

" corymbosum, 81. 

Holiotropium Indicum, 480. 
Helonias dioica, 606, 700. 

" erythrospcrma, 606. 
Ilelasciadium, 46. 
Ilcpatica triloba, 15. 
Ilcracleum lanatum, 40. 
Hcrpestis monniera, 508. 
" cuneifolia, 508. 
Ilcuchcra Americana, 234. 
" villosa, 233. 
" caulcsccns, 233. 
Hibiscus moscheutos, 102. 

" ^culc'iitus, 102, 625. 
Ilicracium gronovii, 484. 
" venosum, 484 

Hippomane mancinclla, 145. 
Holcus odoratus, 393, 644. 
" sorghum, 648. 
" lanatus, 682. 
Hopca tinctoria, 427, 385. 
Houstonia, 445. 
Hamulus lupulus, n9, 386. 
Hydrangea arboresccnp, 234. 
" vulgaris, 234. 

" cordata, 234. 

Hydrastis Canadensis, 15. 
Hydrolea quadrivalvis, 438. 
Hydrocotyle umbcllata, 42. 
Hypericum sarothra, 85. 

" perforatum, 83, 386. 

Hex cassine, 421), 431. 
" vomitoria. 431. 
" opaca, 428, 432. 
" Paraguaicnsis, 432. 
" verticillatn, 428. 
" dahoon, 429, 433. 
" aquil'oliuni, 429. 
" myrtifolia, 433. 
" glaber, 428. 
Illicium Floridanum, 39. 
" parviflorum, 39. 
Impatiens pallida, 165. 

" noli me tangere. 165. 

Indigophera Caroliniana, 204. 
" argcntea, 206- 

" anil, 205. 

" tinctoria, 205, 206. 

" disperma, 20.s. 

Inga unguiscati, 230. 
Inula helenium, 458. 
Ipomoea nil, 434. 

48 



Ipomoea panduratus, 434. 

" giuuata, 435. 
Iris Virginica, 601. 
" versicolor, 43, 600. 
" verna, 601. 
Isatis tinctoria, 205. 
.Jatropha stimulosa, 1-15. 
Jeff'ersonia diphylla, 20. 
Juglans cinerea, 357. 

" nigra, 217, 359. 

" regia, 362. 
Juncus effusus, 616. 

" communis, 616. 
Juniperus Virginiana, 189, 588. 
Jussiaia grandiflora, 59. 
Kalmia latifolia, 419. 

" angustifolia, 421. 

" hirsuta, 421. 
Krameria lanceolata, 94. 
Lachnanthes tiiietoria, 600. 
Lactuca elongata, 477. 

" longifolia, 477. 

" virosa, 477. 
Lappa majo'-, 469. 
Lathvrus, 204. 
Laurus sassafras, 216, 389. 

" benzoin, 392. 

" geniculata, .393. 

" camphora, 233. 
Leersia oryzoides, 678. 
Lemna polyrbiza, 628. 
Leontice thalictroides, 54. 
Leontodon taraxacum, 471. 
Leonurus cardiaca, 490. 
Lepidium Virginicum, 71. 

" sativum, 78. 
Lcptandra Virginica, 510. 

" alba, 510. 

Lespedcza striata, 224. 
Leucanthemum vulgare, 400, 467. 
Leucothoe ac'minata, 417. 
Liatris spicata, 450. 
" squarrosa, 450. 
" scariosa, 450. 

" odoratissima, 449. 
Lichenes, 686. 
Ligustrum vulgare, 412. 
Limnetis, 679. 
Linum usitatissimum, 94. 
" virginianum, 101. 
Liquidambar styraciflua. 382, 385. 
Liriodendron tulipifera. 22. 
Lithospermum canescens, 33. 

" arvense, 480. 

Lobelia inflata, 438. 

" sj'philitica, 441. 

" cardinalis, 441. 
Lolium temulentum, 646. 
Loniccra sempervirens, 446. 

" diervila, 446. 

" caprifolium, 446. 
Ludwigia altornifolia, 60. 
Lycoperdon solidum, 44, 699. 
" giganteum, 699. 



730 



INDEX. 



Lycopus Europeus, 482. 

'• angustifblius, 482. 

" sinuatus, 482. 

" Virginicus,, 483. 
Lyeopodium clavatum, 687, 690. 

" selago, 690. 

Lysimachia nummularia, 509. 
Madura auruntiaca, 119. 
Magnolia glauca, 36, 385. 

" acuminata, 38. 

" grandiflora, 38. 

" niacrophylla, 39. 

" tripetala, 39. 

" umbrella, 39. 
Malva rotundifolia, 101. 

" sylvestris, 101. 
Maranta arundinacca, 590. 
Marrubium vulgare, 490. 
Maruta cotula, 465. 
Medeola Virginica, 608. 
Medicago lupulina, 203. 
Melanthium Virginicum, 606. 
Melia azedaraeh, 126, 200. 
Melilotus officinalis, 203, 393. 
Melissa officinalis, 482. 
Melothriapendula, 69. 
Menispermum Canadense, 414. 
Mentha tenuis, 481. 
" viridis, 481. 
" piperita, 482. 
" rotundifolia, 482. 
Mcrcurialis annua, 154. 

" perennis, 154. 

Mertensia Virginica, 481. 
Miagrum sativum, 73. 
Mimosa sensitiva, 231. 
Mimusops Sieberi, 423. 
Mikania scaudens, 450. 
Mitchella repons, 443. 
Monarda punctata, 485. 
Monocera aromatica, 681. 
Monotropa uniflora, 416. 
Morus alba, 321, 349. 

" Multieaulis, 327, 328. 
" rubra, 347. 
Musci, 686. 
Mylocarium, 155. 
Myrica Carolinensis, 357. 
" cerifera, 353, 385. 
Nabalus Fraseri, 477. 
Nasturtium officinale, 75. 
Nelumbium lutcura, 35. 
Nepeta cataria, 489. 
Nestea verticillata, 61. 
Nieandra physaloides. 516. 
Nicotiana taljacum, 516. 
Nolinageorgiana, 611. 
Nymphiea odorata, 35. 
Nyssa aq'iatica, 386. 
" capitata, 388. 
(Ecidium, 698. 
Oenothera biennis, 58, 386. 
Oldenlandia, 445. 
Olea Europea, 567. 



Olea Americana, 570. 

" fragrans, 124. 
Opuntia vulgaris, 70. 
Orchis eristata, 602. 
Orobanche Virginiana, 505. 

" Americana, 505. 

" uniflora, 505. 

" major, 505. 

Orontium aquaticum, 623. 
Oryza sativa, 667. 
Osmunda regalis, 687, 690. 
Ostrya Virginica, 273. 

" carpinus, 273. 
Oxalis acetosella, 165. 
violacea, 166. 
corniculata, 166. 
furcata, 166. 
Oxycoccus, 421. 
Oxydendron arborcum, 417. 
Pachyma cocos, 699. 
Palmella, 693. 

" prodigiosa, 694. 

Panax tril'olium, 50. 

" quinquefolinm, 49. 
Paneratium maratimum, 600. 

'■ Carolinianum, 600. 

Panicum daetylon, 647. 

'• Italieum, 647. 

Parietaria Pensylvanica, 317. 

" debilis, 317. 

'•■ Floridana, 317. 

Parthcnium integrifolium, 461. 
Papaver somniferum, 23. 

" alba, 25. 

'' dubium, 28. 

Passiflora hitea, 82- 

" incarnata, 82. 

Peltandra Virginica, 621. 
Pharbitis nil, 434. 
Phleum pratensc, 648. 
Phoradendron pratensc, 

" iiavescens, 67- 

Phyllanthus niruri, 145. 
Physalis viscosa, 516. 

" obscura, 516. 

" pubescens, 516. 

Phytolacca decandra, 54, 402. 
PiliBa pumila, 317. 
Pinckneya jjubcns, 442. 
Pinus nigra, 584. 

" .australis, 572. 

" glabra, 585. 

" balsamea, 585. 

" balsamilera, 585. 

" Canadensis, 585. 

" palustris, 572. 

" rigida, 584. 

" strobus, 584. 

" tasda, 585. 

" inops, 585. 
Piscidia erythrina, 201. 
Pisum sativum, 226. 
Pithecolobium unguiscati, 230. 
Plantago major, 478, 386. 



INDEX. 



731 



Plantago lanceolata, 479. 
Platan thera cristata, 602. 
Plumbago scandens, 480. 
Poa, 
" eompressa, 681. 
" pratensis, 64.3, 681. 
Podisomajuniperi, C98. 

" macropus, 698. 
Podophyllum peltatum, 21. 

" quadrangularis, 83. 

" rubra, 83. 

Polygala senega, 91, 451. 
" paucifolia, 9.3. 
" polygama, 94. 
" rubella, 94. 
" sanguinea, 9.3. 
" amara, 94. 
" lutea, 94. 
Polygonum punctatum, 409. 
" avicularc, 410. 

" convolvulus, 411. 

" fagopyrum, 411. 

" hispidum, 410. 

" hydropiper, 409. 

" pcrsicaria, 408. 

"• polygama, 410. 
" parvifolia, 410. 

" mite, 409. 

" scandens, 411. 

" tinctorium, 205. 

" acre, 409. 

Polygonatum biflorum, 613. 
" pubesccns, 613. 

" muKittorum, 613. 

Polypodium vulgarc, 689. 
Populus alba, 381. 

" heterophylla, 382, 453. 
Portulaca olerat-ea, 156. 
Poteutilla Canadensis, 166. 

" reptans, 166. 

Pothos, 622. 
Prenanthes alba, 385, 477, 

" serpentaria, 477- 

Prinos verticilatus, 428. 

" glaber, 428. 
Protoeoccus, 694. 
Prunella vulgaris, 487. 
Prunus Virginana, 195. 
" Caroliniana, 197. 
" spinosa, 198. 
Psoralea esculenta, 204. 
Pyscotria lanceolata, 444. 

" undata, 444. 
Ptelea trifoliata, 163. 
Pteris aquilina, 689. 
Pterocaulon pycnostaehyum, 460. 
Puccinia, 698. 
Pulmonaria Virginiea, 481. 
Punica granatum, 61, 351. 
Pyrethrum caucasicum, 130, 400. 
Pyrola maculata, 414. 
•' umbellata, 415. 
" rotundifolia, 416. 
Pyrus eoronaria, 176. 



Pyrus malus, 177. 

" eydonia, 177. 

" communis, 177, 192. 

" Americana, 193. 
Pyrularia oleifera, 402. 
Quercus tiuctoria, 279, 305. 
" alba, 305, 296. 
" falcata, 279, 296. 
" montana, 303. 
" prinus, 305. 
" rubra, 296, 302. 
" virens, 303. 
" tinctoria, 296. 
" subcr, 305. 
" castanea, 305. 
Ranunculus sceleratus, 17. 
" repens, 17. 

" phragmites, 14. 

" nitidus, 17. 

Rhamnus Carolinianus, 133. 
Rheum palmatum, 411. 

" emodii, 411. 
Rhexia glabella, 60. 
Rhizophora mangle, 58. 
Rhododendron maximum, 419. 

" punctatum, 419. 

Rhus toxicodendron, 235. 
Rhus coriaria, 243. 

" copallina, 241. 

" glabra, 217, 237,242. 

" pumila, 242. 

" radicans, 235, 241. 

" typhina, 242. 

'• vernix, 241. 

" venenata, 241. 

" metopium, 243. 

" aromatica, 243. 

" cotinus, 243. 

" cotinoides, 243. 

" Virginicum, 239. 
Rhyncos'atomentosa, 226. 
Ricinus communis, 134. 
Robiniapseudacacia, 219. 

" flava, 220. 

" viscosa, 224. 

" rosea, 224. 

•' hispida, 224. 
Rosa Caroliniana, 121. 
Rubia tinctorium, 444. 

" Brownii, 444. 
Rubus villosus, 167, 385. 

" occidentalis, 172. 

" trivialis, 168. 
Ruellia strepcns, 504. 
Rumex crispus, 406. 

" acetosella, 406. 

'•■ Britannicus, 408. 

" sanguineus, 408. 

" acetosa, 407. 

" obtusifolius, 408. 

" divaricatus, 408. 

" aeutus, 219. 
Sabal Adansonii, 605. 

' pumila, 6o5. 



732 



Sabbatia angulari.=, 55(5. 

" gracilis, 556. 

" t5teilaris, 55(5. 

Saccharum officinarum, 667. 
Sagittaria s^gittifolia, 615. 

" latifolia, 015. 

Salicornia herbacea, o9'J. 

" Europea, 398. 

" annua, 693. 

Salix nigra, 374. 

" viminalis, 376. 

" caprea, 375. 

" purpurea, 374, 377. 

" triandra, 374. 

" alba, 377. 

" babilonica, 381. 
Salsola .soda, 158, 398. 

" kali, 159, 397. 

" Carolinian a, 159. 
Salvia ly rata, 483. 

" officinalis, 484. 
Sambucus Canadensis, 447, 127. 

" nigra, 214, 447. 

Samolus valorandi, 423. 
Sanguinaria Canadensis, 30. 
Sanicula Marylandica, 42. 
Sapindus marginatus, 90. 

" cmarginatus, 90. 

" sapnnaria, 90. 

Saponaria officinalis, 157. 
Sarracenia variolaris, 55. 

" flava, 55. 

" purpurea, 57. 

Sarothra gentianoidcs, 85. 
Sassafras officinale, 389. 
Saururus cernuus, 373. 
Schoenolerion Michauxii, 611. 
Schraukia uncinata, 231. 

" angustata, 231. 

Schubertia, 587. 
Scirpus marat;imus, 685. 

" luacrostnchyus, 685. 

" palustris, 685. 

" lacustris, 624, 686. 
Scoparia dulcis, 511. 
Scrophularia Marylandica, 507. 

" nodosa, 507. 

Scutellaria integrifolia, 489. 

" lateriflora, 488. 

" galericulata, 489. 

Sencceo aureus, 468. 

" hyeracifolia, 468. 
Sesamum indicum, 103, 492. 

" orientate. 492, 496. 

Shepardia magnoidcs, 200. 
Sida abutilon, 102. 
Silene Virginica, 157. 
Silphium perfoliatum, 460. 

" laciniatum, 460. 

" gummiferum, 460. 

Simaruba glauca, 163. 
Sinapis nigra, 75. 

alba, 77. 
Sisymbrium aiupbibiuui, 75. 



Sisj'mbrium nasturtium, 74. 

" officinale, 75. 

Slum nodiflorum, 46. 
Smilacina, 613. 
Smilax sarsaparilla, 617. 

'•' caduca, 616, 617. 

" glauca, 617. 

" Walteri, 617. 

" herbacea, 618. 

" ovata, 618. 

" pseudo-china, 616, 390. 

" tamnoides, 616, 618. 

" laurifolia, 616. 
Solanum Virginianuin, 514. 

" lycopersicum, 515. 

" Carolinense, 513. 

" mammosum, 514. 

" dulcamara, 513. 

" nigrum, 512. 

" tuberosum, 514. 
Solidago odora, 458. 

" sempervirens, 458. 

" Canadensis, 458. 

" procera, 458. 
Sonchus oleraceus, 477. 
Sorghum vulgarc, 649, 651. 

" saccharatum, 649. 

" ccrnuum, 649. 
Sorbus Americana, 193. 

" acuparia, 193, 386. 

" microcarpa, 193. 
Spartina glabra, 679. 

" juncea, 678. 

Sparganium ramosum, 625. 

" American um, 625. 

Spergula arvcnsis, 161, 644. 
Spigelia Marylandica, 557. 
Spiraja trifoliata, 174, 175. 

" opulifolia, 175. 

" stipulacea, 174, 17(>. 

" tomentosa, 174. 
Spirodelia polyrhiza, 628. 
Sporobolus, 078. 
Staphylea trifolia, 155. 

" pinnata, 1 55. 

Statice limonium, 398, 479. 

" Caroliniana, 398, 479, 386. 
Stellaria media, 161. 
Stillingia sylvatica, 146. 

" sebifera, 147. 

Sty rax, 427. 
Swietenia mahogoni, 94. 

" febrifuga, 94. 

Symplocarpus fcetidus, 622. 
Symplocos tinctoria, 427. 
Sysyrinchium Bermudianum, 601. 

" mucrnnatum, 601. 

Tanacetum vulgare, 400, 466, 467. 
Taraxacum dens-Leonis, 471. 
Taxodium distichum, 587. 
Taxus Floridana, 586. 
Tephrosia Virginiana, 218. 
Tetranthera gpniculata, 393. 
Thca viridis, 123. 



INDEX. 



733 



Thlaspium bursa-pastoris, 74. 
Thuja occidentalis, 198, 503, 586. 
Thymus vulgaris, 48H. 
Tilia glabra, 121. 

" Americana, 121, 123. 
" Europea, 121. 
" pubescens, 121. 
Tillaudsia usneoides, 602. 
Tricodium perennans, 678. 
Trifolium prateuse, 203. 
" arvense, 204. 

" reflexum, 204. 

" repens, 204. 

" melilotus, 449. 

Trillium sessile, 608. 
" erectum, 608. 

" pendulum, 609. 

Triosteum perfoliatum, 446. 

" angustifolium, 446. 

Tripsacum daclyloides, 646. 

" monostaehyum, 646. 

Tripterella coerulia, 6()(i. 
Triticum, 679. 

" repens, 644. 

Tussila^o farfara, 17. 
Typha latil'olia, 623, 686. 
Ulmus fulva, 351. 
" alata, 353. 
" Americana, 352. 
Uniola paniculata, 648. 
Uredo segetum, 698. 

" fetida, 698. 
Urtica urens, 308. 
•' nivea, 812. 
" dioica, 308, 310. 
" pumila, 317. 
" heterophylla, 312. 
Utricularia inflata, 60. 
Ustilago maidis, 632. 
Uvaria triloba, 41. 
Uvularia perfoliata, 613. 

" sessiliflora, 613. 
Vaccinium arboreum, 422. 
" macrocarpon, 421. 

" myrtillus, 214. 

Valeriana scandens, 504. 

" pauciflora, 504. 

Valisneria spiralis, 615. 
Veratrum viride, 606, 502. 
" parviflorum, tJO?. 
" album, 606. 



Veratrum angustifolium, 608. 

" intermedium, 607. 
Verbascum thapsus, 505. 
" blattaria, 507. 

" lychnitis, 507. 

Verbena urticifolia, 236, 491. 
" aubletia, 492. 
•' hastata, 492. 
Verbesina Virginica, 461. 
Vernonia angustifolia, 449. 
Veronica officinalis, 509. 
" anagallis, 511. 
" peregriua, 510. 
" Virginica, 510. 
Viburnum prunilolium, 62, 447. 
Vicia sativa, 226, 204. 

" faba, 226. 
Vitis, 249, et seq. 

" cordifolia, 249, 264. 
" bipinnata, 248. 
" vulpina, 250, 273. 
" labrusca, 250, 263. 
"' rupestris, 250. 
" testivalis, 264. 
" palmata, 249. 
'• vinifera, 250. 
" Virginiana, 249. 
Viola tricolor, 80. 
" arvensis, 79. 
" cucuUata, 80. 
" palmata, 80. 
" pedata, 79. 
Virgilia lutea, 201. 
Viscum verticillatum, 67. 

tiavescens, 67. 
Wiuteraua cauclla, 156. 
Xanthium strumarium, 460. 
Xanthoxylon, (see Zanthoxyluiu.) 
Xerophyllum, 606. 
Yucca tilamentosa, 609. 
Zamia integrifolia, 572, 1)17. 
Zanthoxylum Americauum, 161, I<)2. 
" Caroliniaiium, 1 62. 

" clava-Herculis, 161. 

" fraxineum, 51, 161. 

" ramiflorum, 161. 

" tricarpum, lii2. 

Zanthorrhiza apiifolia, 20. 
Zea mays, 628. 
iZizania aquatica, 677. 
1 Zostera marina, 397, 627. 






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:• OF 

i 

j PURE 

MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS 

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i 
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Established in 1S4.S. 



T I L D E ]Sr & CO. 



NEW LEBANON, N. Y. 



170 WILLIAM STREET, XEW YORK, 
1 869. 



Acid, Carbolic, — Crystals, Fwe and Solution. — Carbolic acid is an es 
charotic stimulant, rubefacient and antiseptic. It possesses very important disin- 
fecting, deodorising and antiseptic powers. Its specific action upon all organic and 
inorganic matter preserves it from putrefaction and decay. In addition to these 
properties it acts when locally applied, as an escharotic, or diluted, as a stimulant ; 
whon given internally il resembles Creasote in its power of allaying several forms of 
vomiting and gastric irritability. Dr. Godfrey found benefit from its use in vomit- 
ing in pregnancy, flatulency of old age, diarrhoea, putrid discharges from the mouth, 
throat, ears, rectum and vagina. It is used as a gargle in stomatitis, aphthae, diph- 
theria and -vilcerated sore throat, as a wash in ill-conditioned ulcers, slouching 
wounds, cancerous ulceraLions, fetid perspiration of feet, or as a disinfectant for 
fiscal matter, contagion of sick room, cess-pools. See Joui'. Materia Medica, vol. G. 
Dose, internal, one drop. One drop of the deliquesced acid largely diluted in water, 
and one teaspoonful of the solution. 

Ajcid, Chromic. — Used as an escharotic in syphilitic vegetations, in ulcera- 
tions, warts and morbid growths ; gives less pain than other caustics, acts as a rapid 
soiveni of organic matter. Set Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 2 and 6. 

Ammonia, Aqua Fortior. — The gas constitutes 2G per cent, of the so- 
lution Too strong tor medicinal use in its unmixed state. 

Ammonia, Aromatic Spirits of. — Stimulant and alexipharmic. Mediciijal 
properties bear a close resemblance to those of the simple spirits. It is a weaker 
prenaration and has generally gained the preference with physicians on account 
of its grateful taste and smell. It is advantageously employed as a stimulant 
antacid in sick headacha Dose, thirty to sixty drops properly diluted with water. 

Ammonia, Hypophosphite of —Stimulant tonic. One of the agents 
recommended in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, and is indicated in tnat 
class of maladies characterizea Dy a want of nervous tone and integrity, ana m 
some types of mental aberrance and defective osseous formation. Dose, ten to thirty 
grains. 

Ammonia. Spirits of. — Spirits of ammonia are stimulant, anti-spa£uiodic 
and alexipharmic. Ammonia is adapted for speedily rousing the action of the vas- 
cular and respiratory systems and for the prompt alleviation of spasms. In languor, 
hysteria, flatulent colic, syncono nervous debility, and acidity of the prima via, it 
proves ver- berviceable. As an internal and external remedy to obviate the sequelae 
of the bile of rabid animals, venomous insects and reptiles, its power is well 
known. By wav of inhalation, it is administered when it is desired to make a 
strong impression on the nervous system, in cephalalgia, hemicrania, and faintnef-s 
or collapse. Ammoniacal inhalations have been found very useful in asphyxia, 
and to prevent an attack of epilepsy. The aromatic spirits has the pi eference as 
an internal medicine. 

Ammonia, Valerianate of, Crystals.— Nervine stimulant, and anti- 
spasmodic. Particularly valuable in neuralgia. The favorable report of its efficacy 
in this disorder, made by M. Declat, has been confirmed by practitioners from 
all quarters. It has proved signally potent in some severe cases, which had resisted 
all the ordinary remedies. Much benefit has been derived from it in some cases cf 
hysteria, chorea, epilepsy and other nervous aflfections. See Jour. Mateiis 
Medica, vol 4. Dose, two to eight grains dissolved in water. 

Ammonium Bromide of. — ^r. Gibb recommends it as an absorbent in 
glandular and other enlargements, in nei\od5 affections connected with diseased 



and irritated mucous membrane, epilepsy, chorea, whooping cough, &c. See 
Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 0. Dose, two to ten grains three times a day. 

Arsenic Iodide of — Alterative and tonic Whi^n given internally it is absorb- 
ed into the S3'^stem, and is eliminated by the urine, saliva and perspiratioii. It is a 
powerful remedy, and requires to be given with great, caution. Valuable in can- 
cerous affections, lupus, lepta, psoriasis, impetigo, tinea capitis. &c See Journal 
Materia Medica, vol. '.', and 6. Dose, one sixteerth to one-eighth of a grain three 
times a day. 

Arsenic and Mercury, Solution Iodide of.— Donovan's Solution.— 

Each fluid dram contains Teriodide of Arsenic, equal to one eighth grain of Arse- 
nious Acid, of fodide of Mercury equivalent to one-fourth grain of the Peroxide 
of Merciiiy, and three fourth i^rain of Iodine, converted into hydriodic Acid.. 

Powerful alterative, particularly adapted to the treatment of venereal diseases, 
<-a.i oerous diseases, obstmate cutiineous dise.ases, sycosis, urticaria or nettle rash, &<• 

Dose, five to twenty drops three times a day ; preferable in distilled water. 

Arsenite Potassa, Solution of. — Fowler'n Sohition. — Used in inveterate 
cutaneous affectifins, chorea, &c. , 

Each fluid dram contains one-half grain of Arsenious Acid Dose, for an adult, 
five drops three times a day. 

Bismuth, Citrate of. — This salt is perfectly soluble in water, by the addition 
of a small quantity of aqua ammonia; its ready solubility in the stomach renders it 
more desirable for administration than the sub-nitrate, or perhaps the other salts. 

Dose, two grains, in substance, dissolved in water or syrup, by the addition of a 
few drops of aqua ammonia. 

Bismuth Liquor, or Liquid Bismuth.— The advantages of this prepa 
ration are, that the metal is in a perfect state of solution, being a solution of ammoni. 
ated citrate, it mixes with water and other fluids without precipitation. " It allays 
pain in acute irritability of the stomach, (without nausea or much acidity), espec- 
ially that which remains after ulceration, and is the most eligible form for the 
administration of Bismuth." Each fluid drachm contains two grains Citrate Bismuth. 

Bismuth, Sub Carbonate of.— Rt-commended by Prof Hannon of Brussels, 
as a substitute for the nitrate, who alleges for it the good qualities of the sub- 
nitrate, that it is antacid, readily soluble in the gastric juice, rarely constipates, 
and may be employed for a long time without oppressing the stomach ; it is insipid, 
excites no repugnance, and may be taken before meals. Dose, ten to fifteen 
grain's three times a day. 

Bismuth, Sub Nitrate of. — Bismuth submtrate, is tonic and anti-spasmodic, 
sedative and alterative, with special efficacy in atonic dyspepsia, painful affec- 
tions of the stomach, as gastralgia, cardialgia and pyrosis, also in diarrhoea of 
typhus fever and consumption, in sub-acute and chronic dysentery. See Jour. 
Materia Medica, vol. 6. Dose, five to fifteen grains three times a day. 

Bismuth, Tannate of. — This preparation combines the astringency of Tannin, 
with the sedative and other qualities of Bismuth. Was first introduced by Dr. Cap, 
of the Academy of Medicine, Paris, in diarrhea, chronic and acute dyspepsia, chronic 
gastritis. In these difficulties its virtue is due to its soothing influence upon the 
inflated or irritated mucous surface. See Jour. Materia Medica, vols. 2 and 6, 
Dose, five to fifteen grains three times a day. 

Bismuth, Valerianate of.--Sedative, astringent and anti-spabn^ die; valuable 



in neuralgic affections, painful affections of the stomach, chronic gastralgia, in 
gastrodynia of hysterical women, and particularly when combined with Belladonna. 
Dose, one-half to two grains. 

Black Drop. — Synonymous with Vinegar of Opium- and Opd Acetum. It 
is of double the strength of laudanum, six and a half minims containing the soluble 
parts of about one grain of opium. It exhibits all the anodyne or soporific prop- 
erties of the narcotic, and may be advantageously used, in manj' instances, when 
in consequence of some idiosyncrasy in the disease or in the constitution of the 
patient, opium itself or laudanum is contraindioated, because they occasion head- 
ache, nausea and other disagreeable sequelae. Dose, one to ten drops. 

Calcium, Iodide of. — Alterative. This salt is very valuable in cases in 
which the iodide of potassium is inadmissible. It does not occasion idiosm or re- 
sorption of healthy tissues ; it does not excite the circulation nor irritate the 
stomach and bladder by passing off" to "-apidly by the kidneys. 

Its solution in milk is perfectly t»5celess. It is particularly useful in squamous 

diseases of the skin, and chvon snd metallic poisoning by mercur}', lead and copper. 

Dose, — One-fourth of a svum solution, three times a dav. 
' • *■ 

Cantharidal Acetic Rubefacient. — A convenient and eflBcient instru- 
ment to produce conntD.-irritation, when it is desired to occasion merely redness 
or inflammation of *''ne skin. Offered as a substitute for the ordinary irritants, such 
as mustard 

Canthandal Acetic Vesicant. — An eneigetic and reliable epispastic 
and adap*,ed to cover uneven surfaces. On account of the facility of application, 
certainty of effect, and slightness of pain, no agent is equal to cantharides for caus- 
ing Tesication when applied to the skin. Applicable to those conditions when it is 
desirable to substitute a mild and easily managed disease for an internal and 
intractable one ; when a desiderative influence is required, and the absorbents, the 
circulation and the whole system need stimulation and increased vigor by external 
means. Recommended to physicians as thejuost prompt blistering artich' in use. 

Cantharidal Collodion. — " It produces a blister in about the same time as 
the ordinary cerate, and has the advantages that it is applied with greater facility, 
is better adapted to cover uneven surfaces, and retains its place with more cer- 
tainty." On application, evaporation of the ether takes place in less than a minute, 
and it may then be re-applied if necessary. 

Carbolate of Lime. — Used for disinfecting purposes. Put up in five to ten 
pound boxes. 

Cerium, Oxalate of. — Nervine-tonic and sedative. Prof. Simpson, of Ed- 
inburgh, speaks of it as almost a specific in chorea. It has been extravagantly lauded 
in chronic vomiting, and in that attendant on phthisis, hysteria, pyrosis, and atonic 
dyspepsia ; while in the vomiting of pregnancy it has been found more successful 
than any other remedy. Singularly beneficial results have followed the employment 
of this agent in cases of general intestinal eruption, in irritable dyspepsia with gas- 
trodynia, &c. Dose, one grain, two or three times daily, dissolved in water. 

Chloroform, Chemically Pure.— This article is prepared by ourselves 
from alcohol and other pure materials, and is not the commercial article purified- 
It is adapted to inhalation and internal use. 

Collodion Surgical. — Useful in wounds to keep the edges together. It 
forms also, a coating, and has been applied in abrasions and burns. In operative 



surgery it has been employed with remarkable success to hasten the process of 
nealing by the first intention. It is open to none of the objections that are occasion- 
ally urged against the '"cantharidal." 

Elixir Calisaya. — The active agent for this elegant aromatic preparation 
is the most valuable species of the Cinchonas called Calisaya. It is an agreeable 
and general tonic in convalescence from disease in children and feeble persons, and 
prophylactic against intermittents. It will be found to be of great advantage in 
dyspepsia, attended with irritation of the stomach; in severe diarrhoeas and those that 
have been chronic; in long continued inflammations of the mucous membranes, 
better treated with tonics than anti-phlogistically, and generally ii weak and pros- 
trated states of the system, particularly during the summer mont>. 
Each fluid ounce contains forty grains of true Calisaya bark. 
Elixir Calisaya and Iron. — This is one of the most elegant and ac- 
j ceptable preparations ever made. It combines all the virtues of the Calisaya hark with 
I the impurtant medicines, Iron and Phosphorus, in the form of the pyro-phos-phate 
j of Iron, a very mild, nearlj'' tasteless salt, acceptable to the most deliixite stomach ; 
j easily assimilated and not decomposed in the stomach by food or gastric juice. 
EachTBuid ounce contains thirty grains Calisaya, and twelve grains of Iron. 
i Elixir Calisaya Iron and Bismuth.— This preparation combines all 
j the valuable properties of Calisaya and Iron, with those of the Ammonio Citrate 
' of Bismuth, and has been used with marked effect in dyspepsia, anaemi;i, female 
debility, as a general tonic; a variety of cases will be readily suggested to the 
physician by the combination, in which it can be used with benefit. 

Each fluid ounce contains, Calisaya forty grains ; Iron, eight grains; Citrate 
Bismuth, eight grains. 

Elixir Calisaya, Iron and Strychnia.— The combination of Strychnia 
with the valuable properties of the other articles, possesses the advantage of a larger 
adaptation to those cases of general debility complicated with nervous difficulties, as 
well as in cases attended with constipation, &c. 

Each fl'iid dram ■"'^n'^ains one one-hundredth of a grain of strychnia. 
Elixir G-enti i and Chloride of Iron-— Agreeable tonic, h»imatinic, 
and alterative. B} li.- combination, we have a remedy of great utility in 
atonic dyspepsia, in diseases accompanied by debility, in scrofula, in pas- 
sive hemorrhages from the uterus, kidneys and bladder, in old cases ot gieet, 
gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, when the discharges have prostrated the system. It ha.s been 
found beneficial in erysipelas, scarlatina, diphtheria, and in purulent infection of the 
blood. In these cases it is supposed to act by way of improving the condition of 
the blood. Eacli fluid dram contains three grains sesqui-chloride o( iron and three 
and one half grains of gentian. Do-e, one dram. 

Elixir Iodide of Calcium and Protoxide Iron.— The Chicago Medi- 
cal Journal writes: — "A very e.Kcellenl alterative and tonic is alfurded in I'ii.dk.s's 
beautiful elixir of ioilide of calcium and protoxide iron. We havealwa\-s, previous 
ly, been disappointed in securing desired results from the use of the '• iodide of lime" 
but find this particular preparation to "fill the bill" to our very great satisfaction." 

Dose, one teaspoonful three times a day. 

Elixir Pepsine, Strychnia and Bismuth.— Highly lauded .i-^ . di- 
gestive. Particularly adapted to dyspepsia, the debility of the st)inich following 
chronic gastritis, and in that attendant on convalescence and certain y.\-h;iuan!< dis- 
eases stich as phthisis. In these states, the gastric juice is not secreted in sufficient 
quantity to enable the stomach to perform its proper fuuction Pepsine is -•liimed 



to comravene this departure from health by keeping up artificial, digestion, while 
strychnia gives tone and integritj' to the sympathetic, in which is acknowledged 
to reside the "secretive co ordination," thereby tending to effect a pei-nianont cure, 
and bismuth operates as a sedative and alterative, and plays an important part in 
irritableness of the stomach, and in inflamed conditions of the gaslro-enteric mucous 
membranes Each fluid dram contains five grains of pepsine, ^^^ grain of strychnia 
and one <:rain ammonio-citratc of bismut^. Dose, one dram before meals. 

Elixir Phosphate of Iron and Quinia.— Valuable chalybeate and tonic. 

1 Convenient lorni m which to administer phosphorus, iron and quinia. Recommend- 

j ed in atonic states of the system generally, mollities ossium, &c. The prop- 

j erties and therapeutical utility of these elements are too well-known to require 

; enumeration of the particular indications this combination is capable of fulfilling. 

Dose, one to two drams. 

EUxir Phosphate of Lime.— Alterative, and an excellent antacid. Phos- 

1 phate uf lime in this form is readily taken by children, and is the pleasantest 

i rc^medy that can be administered to meet a number of disorders. Admirably adapted 

: to diarrhdea ace- mpanied with acidity, to acidity of the stomach attending dyspepsia 

and gout, when a laxative influence is to be avoided. Beneficial in scrofula, scrofulous 

affections and rachitis. 

Ehxir Protoxide of Iron. — I'he general operation of the preparations of 
iron is as a tonic ; they elevate the pulse, heighten the complexion, and promote 
the secretions, and are must useful when there is debility, relaxation and languid 
circulation 'I'hi>< preparation supplies to the blood and capillaries the coloring mat- 
ter netv ssary '<' give what is termed good red blood. It is prescribed for ohlorotic 
an(t!miH, .scrofula, chorea, atonic dyspepsia, &c. (t is reliable, pleasant, and very 
free ivoin any disajrreeable r;iste. Each fluid dram contains five grains of Iron 
DoS", one dram. 

Ehxir Protoxide of Iron and Quinia.— This preparation combines all 
the 1(1(11. propfrries of the iron, with the tonic and anti-periodic properties of 
Qu'nin. , and is admirably adapted for children and delicate females, and is adapted 
to most cnse.^ when- Iron would be u>-ed. Each fluid dram ((mtains one-fourth 
;:;raiii ■>' tjiiinia and five grains of Iron. Dose, one dram. 

Ehxir Pyrophosphate of Iron.— This prepaianon of Iron possesses 

niaikeci advantasiis mei- other preparations of Iron, its tastelessness and elegant 

appearance is an luipoi taut feature in the cases of children, and many persons of a 

nervi^uj delicate organization, particularly females who can not take the ordinary 

preparatluiis of Iron ; with some they disorder the stomach, and not only fail to be 

assimilated, but by preventing the gastric and intestinal secretions interfere with 

I the digestion. A marked peculiarity in the Pyrophosphate is that it will scarcely 

I ever in any case disagree, and patients receive great benefit from its use. The 

; pyrophosphoric acid adds new virtues to the Iron, and bestows on this preparation 

i advantages pos&essed by none other. Each fluid ounce contains sixteen grains of 

I the Iron Dose, one to two drams. 

I Ehxir Pyrophosphate of Iron and Soda.— Chalybeate and alterative. 

A iiuuktd [.Lculiaruy of the pyrophosphate is that it will scarcely ever in any 
; ca^-f ui.sHgree. Ttie tasteless and elegant appearance of this medicine eminently 

adapt It to cases of children and those c( a nervous delicate organization, wlien 
i the combined influence of iron, phosphorus, and sodium are indicated. Each fluid 
I ounce contains ten grains of pyro-phosphate of iron; fifteen grains pyrophosphate 
' of soda. Dose, one to two drams. 



Elixir Rhubarb and Magnesia.— Grateful form in which to administer 
an aperient and purgative. This preparation holds the active principles of rlinbarb 
and magnesia in a soluble state, and is presented to the profession as an excellent 
and pleasant remedial cordial for the ordinary derangements of the gastro-enteric 
duct. Paiticularly applicable to children and adults of a delicate constitution. 
Dose, one to three teaspoonfuls for adults. 

Elixir Valerianate of Ammonia.— Extensively, used in epilepsy also in 
neuralgia and nervous diseases, as hysteria, chorea, &c. Another agreeable form 
of administration is in the form of pills coated so as to conceal all disagreeable odor. 
Dose, one-half to one dram. 

Elixir Valerianate of Ammonia and Quinia.— This preparation 
contains the nervine, stimulant and anti-spasmodic properties of the former, with 
the anti-periodic properties of the latter, and is especially useful in intermittent 
neuralgia, as well as other forms of the same disease and nervous affection. 

Each fluid dram contains two grains Valerianate Ammonia and one-fourth grain 
Valerianate of Quinia. Dose, one-half to one dram. 

Eliarir Valerianate of Ammonia and Strychnia. — Neurotic-tonic 
and stimulant. An elegant combination, pleasant to the eye and taste. A medicine 
which the profession has received with much favor in the management of nervous 
disorders generally. See Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 3. Each fluid dram contains 
two grains valerianate of ammonia, and ^ grain of valerianate of strychnia. Dose, 
one-half to one dram. 

Elixir Valerianate of Strychnia.- Nervine stimulant and anti- 
spasmodic. Exerts a powerful stimulating influence on the nervous system and 
spinal cord. The therapeutics of the articles are too well known to need particular 
description. Each fluid dram contains one-sixteenth grain valerianate of strych- 
nia. Dose, one half to one dram. 

Ether Chloric, Concentrated, Chemically Pure. — A mixture of 
equal parts by weight of chemically pure chloroform and pure deodorized alcohol- 
The alcohol acts as a corrigent against depressing effects. 

Ether, Spirits Nitre, Chemically Pure.— This article is chemically 
pure, and should be carefully secluded from the light and air. Possesses diuretic, 
diaphoretic and antispasmodic virtues. Much esteemed as a medicine in febrile 
affections, and extensively employed either alone or in conjunction with other agents 
for the purpose of promoting the secretions, especially those of the skin and 
kidneys. 

Ether, Sulphuric, Chemically Pure.— We prepare only that which is 
chemically pure and concentrated. It has been used by many surgeons as an anass- 
thetic, and by them pronounced to be entirely pure. 

Fluid Opium Deodorized.— i^^"j<^ Opii. Deod. {U. S. P.j— The great 

variety of indications fulfilled by the use of opium, and its extensive applicability 
to the cure of disease, have incorporated it into almost every practice of medicine. 
This pi'eparation is superior to the Elixir that has had so wide a reputation, pos- 
sesses all the anodyne, sedative and anti-spasmodic effects of opium. The ill efi'ects 
of opium are owing to the presence of certain deleterious principles contained in 
it which, when extracted, do not detract from its highly medicinal qualities. It is a 
pure aqueous preparation, has none of the odor of opium offensive to some, retains 
all that is useful, and affords all the benefits intended to be derived from its use. 
It is a very pleasant anodyne and anti-spasmodic, much used to allay cough in 



chronic catarrh, asthma, &c. ; to relieve nausea and slight pains in the stomach and 
bowels ; to check diarrhea ; and in infantile cases to procure sleep. 

Many physicians have long used an empiric aqueous solution, and differing only 
from the oflBcinal solution, in mode of preparation ; the strength of the opium should 
be accurately ascertained before preparing the infusion, otherwise it can not be 
relied upon, as opium is very often obtained largely adulterated. 

Repose is usually induced by the minimum dose, but in obstinate irritation, the 
dose can be repeated several times with safety. 

The advantages claimed for this oreoaration are, that constipation and unpleasant 
consequences following the administration of opium in its ordinary forms are wholly 
or nearlv avoided. 

This preparation may be administered as anodyne or to induce rest, when opium 
•nself cannot be Drescribed with safety. Dose, for an infant, one to five drops; for 
.<n adult, fifteen to sixtv drops. 

Glycerine. White. — This article is deodorized, colorless, and equal in ele- 
gance and purity to any similar article in market. 

Grlycerole Hypophosphites.— A combination of the glycerine with the 
hypophosphites. Peculiarly applicable to pulmonary liegeneration and ansemic 
conditions of children. 

Grlltta Percha Solution.— Beneficial as a protective covering for compound 
h-actures, open cancers, supjnuauiig gangrenous surfaces, burns, abrasions, wounds, 
&o. May be applied with a brush or by pouring. A delicate film is left by evap- 
oration of the liquid, which comnlotely excludes the air and acts as an artificial 
cuticle. Has been tonicallv employed with advantage in various cutaneous affec- 
tions, scrofulous and indolent ulcers, and as an ectrotic in smallpox. 

Gutta Percha Vesicant. — The most acceptable, certain and painless ves- 
icant in use. Can be applied with focility, is adapted to cover uneven surfaces, and 
retains its place and form without spreading. 

Hoffman's Anodyne, or Compound Spirits of Ether.— This ar 

tide is strictly officinal. Contains the officinal proportion of etherial oil. The 
comu .Tcial article contains a variable proportion of etherial oil. Highly serviceable 
in nei /ous irritation and want of sleep from this cause ; possessing the stimulating 
and anti-spasmodic properties of ether together with potent anodyne virtues Dose, 
one-half to one fluid drachm in sweetened wxter. 

H3rpophosphites. — Lime, Soda, Fotassa, Iron, Manganese, Ammonia. — 
Recommended for the treatment of phthisis, in some types of mental aberrance, and 
nervous debility, and defective osseous formation. Dose, ten to twenty grains each. 

Iodide of Lime. — This preparation is in the form of yellow crystals, is chem- 
ically pure, and perfectly soluble. " Iodide of Lime" says Dr. Talson, " was first 
introduced in 1855. It has been rapidly gaining favor among practitioners as a 
remedy of great value. It is used in those cases where Iodide of Potassium is 
indicated, but with more marked effects than usually attend the use of that salt. 
The lime and iodine are held together by a feeble affinity, and the salt will not 
admit of exposure without evolving free iodine. Each dram of the salt contains 
eight and one half grains of Iodine, and each tiuid ounce of the solution contains 
one-third grain of lodme. The Iodine in the solution exists in the form of Iodide 
of Calcium and Iodide of Lime. Acids decompose the solution, and fi-ee the Iodine, 
and hence the utility of this form for the administration of Iodine. Probably in the ' 



state of an oxWe, the Iodide of Calcimn is superior to the Iodide of Potassium in 
several p.articulars : 

" 1. The sinallness of the dose, and the minute state of its atomic divisions. 
2. Not passing off so quickly thi-ough the kidneys. 3. Its ready combination with 
the blood and tissues, manifested by its alterative effects. 4. In being nearly taste- 
less, and therefore readily taken by children. 5. It is less expensive. 6. In not 
producing either gastro-enteric or vesical irritation. 

" It has been used with much success in throat diseases, in morbid conditions of 
the general system, in scrofulous affections, intractable cases of neuralgia, diseases 
caused by metallic poisons, &c. The dose of the salt is very small — about one- 
fourth of a grain given in solution, two or three times a day. Of the solution, two 
to four fluid drams may be given as often. 

Iodide of Lime, Syrup of. — For the convenience of administration, Syrup 
Iodide of Lime is reconuuended ; it is pleasant and readily administered to children. 
One of its first effects is to increase the appetite, exhibiting tonic properties. Chil- 
dren of scrofuleus diathesis rapidly improve under its aid, and it is also particularly 
adaptedito a large nmnber of chronic or acute affections peculiar to them. It pos- 
seses deciilcd alterative powers, and when alterative remedies are indiciited, it can 
be used without hesitation. Each fluid ounce contains the equivalent of three and 
one-half grains of iodine. 

Iodide of Sodium. — Alterative. Has similar therapeutical effects and utility 
with the iodide of potassium, but more tolerable than the latter iodide. In con.sti- 
tutional syphilis it has produced remarkable cures. Dose, twenty grains, gradually 
increased to forty, dissolved in three fluid ounces of water. 

Iodide of Sulphur. — Alterative. Properly diluted, and associated with other 
agents it has proved serviceable in obstinate and chronic scrofulous diseases. Ap- 
plied in the form of ointment in the various skin diseases, such as tinea capitis, 
lupus, lepra, &c. 

Iodoform. — Volatile, soft to the touch, insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol, 
and in ether, and has a very large proportion of iodine. Being non-irritant and of 
an organic nature, it is more readily ahsorhed and assimilated than the iodine or io- 
dides. Possesses all the virtues of iodine, together with sedative properties. Been 
employed in goitre, rachitis, glandular tumors, syphilis, cutaneous eruptions, 
neuralgic affections, &c. Dose, one to three grains. 

Iron, Ammonio-Citrate of. — Possesses an agreeable odor and taste, is 
aromatic, carminative and tonic. Used in debility after exhausting diseases, in anae- 
mic states of children, in scrofulous affections, and in dyspepsia in scrofulous 
subjects. Dose, five grains. 

Iron, Ammonio-Tartrate ot -Scales.— This substance has a sweetish 
and not unpleasant taste, and is soluble in water. Highly recommended as a mild 
unirritating chalybeate. Dose, ten to thirty grains. 

Iron and Potassa, Tartrate of. — Grateful chalybeate and alterative* 
Excellent ferruginous preparation for children. Dose, five to ten grains. 

Iron by Hydrogen (Quevenne's). — According to Quevenne, it introduces 
more iron into the gastric juice than any other chalvbeate. Chiefly employed in 
anaemia, chlorosis, amenorrhea and chorea. Dose, three to six grains. 

Iron and Manganese, Citrate of — Blood-restorative, tonic and anti- 
anaemia. Applicable to that class of diseases where a depurator to the blood and 



powerful tonic are needed. Manganese promotes the promptness of action and the 
hgematinic influence of the iron element. Dose, five to ten grains. 

Iron and Qninia. Citrate of.— Blood-restorative, tonir and anti periodic. 
Peculiarly fitted ibr children and delicate females. Easily borne when the stronger 
salts of iron are inadmissible. Dose, five grains 

Iron, Quinia and Strychnia, Citrate of.— Blood-restorative, tonic and 
nervine stimulant. Recommended in atonic dyspepsia, some types of paralysis, 
chorea, amenorrhoea, and incontinence of fa3ces and urine. 

Iron and Strychnia, Citrate of —One part of Strychnia to fortj^-nine 
of Citrate of [ron. Used in atonic dyspepsia, chorea, paralysis, amenorrhoea, &c. 
Dose, three to six grains. 

Iron Hydrocyanate of — Valuable in epilepsy ; has proved beneficial when 
other remedies failed. See Dr. McGugin's article, Jour. Materia Medica. 

Iron Hydrated, Sesquioxide of. — One of the best antidotes we possess 
for poisoning by arsenic. Dose, tablespoonful every fifteen minutes or oftener. 

Iron, Iodide of. — Its properties are those of a tonic, emmenagogue, and ab- 
soi'bent. As a tonic it pi-omotes the appetite, re-establishes digestion, and im- 
proves the general health. This preparation is recommended as particularly well 
adapted for constitutions of a scrofulous diathesis. It is employed with much suc- 
cess in chlorosis, atonic amenorrhoea, leucorrhoea; diabetes and obstinate syphilitic 
ulcers. Ricord regards ic as a valuable remedy in secondary syphilis, especially 
when occurring in debilitated subjects. Dose, one grain gradually increased to eight 
grains. 

Iron Lactate of. — The Lactate of Iron produces a marked efi"ect in increas- 
ing the aptite , nas the general therapeutical properties of the ferruginous prepa- 
rations. It has been successfully prescribed for anaemic and chlorotic patients, and 
is regarded as a potent and valuable agent in amenorrhoea and dysmenorrhoea. 
Dose, ten to twenty grains. 

Iron, Muriate. Tincture of. — Diuretic, astringent and haematinic. It is 
one of the most powerful of the ferrusrinous preparations, and may be administered 
with advantage whenever iron is inoicated. It is valuable as tonic in scrofula ; is 
said to exercise a peculiar influence on the urinary passages, a'^d has been success- 
fully employed in gleet, obstinate gonorrhea and leucorrhea. Employed with favor- 
able results in inconiinencc of urine of children, in spasmodic stricture of the 
urethra, in atonic hemorrhage from the bladder, uterus and kidneys. Dr. 0. Rees 
deems this the most desirable form of iron for internal use in hasmaturia, while Dr. 
G. Bird no less highly speaks of its potency in chlorosis. This tiacture is advised 
in albuminuria and chylous urine. Dose, ten to thirty drops diluted in water. 

Iron, Nitrate of. — Tonic, sedative and astringent. Extravagantly praised as 
a remedy in chronic diarrhoea unattended by inflammation, especially when occurring 
in delicate and nervous women. Useful in menorrhagia, and in leuchorrhoea, par- 
ticularly of exsanguine, chlorotic and feeble subjects. Dose, five to eight drops, 
properly diluted. 

Iron, Per-Sulphate of. — Monsers solution. It is very efficacious as a 
styptic, and by ii's power uf congealing the blood, is well adapted to cases of he;ii 
orrhago from incised su. faces, and especially where it is desirable to avoid irritation. 

It has been highly recommended as efficacious in arresting internal hemori'hages 
from stomach and bowels, and in subduing chancre. Dose, five to fifteen drops. 



Iron, Proto-Carbonate of— Vallet's Mass.— Ha^matinic, tonic and em- 
menagogue. Freedom from astringencv, iiiichangeableness and read_y solubilily in 
acids, are its chief recommendations. It is the best chalybeate that can be employed 
to produce the alterative effects of iron. D-se, five lo thirty grains daily, in divided 
quantities. 

Iron, Protoxide, Solution of. — For combination with Elixir of bark. 

Iron, Citro-Ammoniacal, Pyro-Phosphate of — The preparation oi 
this article is based upon the method of M. G. Robiquet. 

While it is a mild and agreeable chalybeate, its action on the system is efficient, 
and it may be administered in any form that may be desirable, that of pill, solution 
in water, syrup or elixir. It is very favorably spoken of in the treatment of rickets 
and diabetes, and has been employed with marked success in anaamic diseases; 
has che advantage of ready assimilation in the system, and of entire absence of any 
tendency to disorder the stomach or bowels. Dose, two to three grains. 

Iron, Sesqui-Chloride of. — In the form of crystals. The most powerful 
of the ferruginous preparations. Is deliquescent, and very soluble in water, alcohol 
and etHfer. May be used for the ordinary purpose of chalybcate.s. 

Iron, Sesqui-Chloride of, Solution (Strong).— Principally used as a 
styptic in the cure of varices, in hemorrhages from superficial wounds, as .an injec- 
tion in ordinary aneurisms, and a caustic to warts. 

Iron, Tannate of. — Astringent and tonic. U.seful in chlorosis, and to check 
exhausting discharges. A popular application to ringworm. Dose, five to eight 
grains daily in divided quantities. 

Iron, Valerianate of. — Blood-restorative and nervine-sedative. Especially 
valuable in hysterical affections complicated with chlorosis. Soluble in alcohol. 
Dose, one to two grains several times daily. ^ 

Lead, Acetate of. — Astringent and sedative. Diminishes tlie secretions and 
reduces the action of the capillary system. Most frequently used in hemorrhages, 
particularly from the lung.s, stomach, intestines and uterus. Do.se, one to five grains. 

Lithia, Bromide of 

Liithia, Carbonate of. — This .substance has come into use as a solvent for 
uric acid calculi. Its great solvent power for that acid also renders it of much 
service in gout and rheumatism. Suggested as an injection into the bladder in c-ases 
of lithuria and oxaluria. Dose, three to eight grains several times daily. 

Lithia. Iodide of 

Magn* sia Citrate, Granular Effervescent. — The effervescent fjroper- 

ties of tbi i-legant preparation aT-e retained in grammar form, preserving the flavor 
as a palat.'i^le saline draught. 

Mercury. Bi-Iodide.— Dose, one-sixteenth to one-fourth grain. 
'* ProtO-Iodide. — Dose, one-eighth to one-fourth grain. 

Pepsine, Pure. — This substance is ragarded as a positive anatomicil ingredi- 
ent of the gastric juice, both essential to its constitutioii and physiological action. 
Introduced into the system it increases the appetite, allays irritability of the stom- 
ach, and promotes changes in this viscus essential to healthy digestion of the nitro- 
genous elements of food. See Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 5 and t>. Dose, ten to 
fifteen grains befoi e meals. 

Pepsine, "Wine. — This elegant cordial contains the digestive principle of the 
gastric juice held in solution by ^v»r« sherry wine, and is acceptable to even those of 
the most delicate organizations. No more grateful and efficient medicine has been 



tried in dyspepsia and kindred diseases. One-half a wine glassful should be taken 
just before or immediately after meals. 

Potassa, Acetate of. — Efficient and mild diuretic and alterative. A tnod- 
icine of superior efficacy. Employed in dropsies with ajood success, and in stvoral 
skin diseases, such as psoriasis, eczema, and lepra. It has produced renunkable 
cures. No nicely need be observed in the dose. 

Potassa, Chlorate of. — {Chemically Pure.) — "It has been efficaciously I 
employed in scorbutus, hepatic affections, aphthous ulcerations of the mouth, can- i 
crum oris mercurial salivation, abscesses, boils, eruptions, ulcers, purpura hemor- 
rhagica, etc." Many physicians mainly rely on it as a drink in scarlatina. 

Potassium, Bromide of. — Alterative, antaphrodislac, deobstruent and sed- 
ative to the nervous system. The highest authorities call attention to i's value in 
epilepsy. It has produced the happiest effects in many hysterical cases, attended 
with a great deal of sexual excitement and various distressing symptoms. In sleep- 
lessness and in "low spirits," after a failure of opium, valerian and other anti- 
spasmodics and sedatives, it has proved the desideratum. Useful in scrofula, 
enlargement of spleen, liver, &c. Dose, three to ten gr.iins, three times daily. 

Potassium, Arseniated Brom.ide of —The therapeutics of this prep- 
aration have received considerable attention and laudation Dr Chas. A. Lee says: 
"T am satisfied it is a most valuable preparation." Dr. L. Elsberg. of New York, in 
a communication to the Medical arxl Surgical Reporter, Philadelphia, (Sept. 24. 
1859), spoke of it u.-^ possessing " tordo^ alterative and resolvent properties." E. 
H. Sholl. M. D., in the .same journal, has recently endorsed Dr. E.'s opinion, and 
from actual experience, proclaims himself satisfied "with the rapidity and certainty ■■ 
of its excellent tonic eftects." remarking: 

"It presents to the profession a remedy concentrated and palatable, objects not 
be disregarded, when contending, as we frequently have to do, in the pecuiinr class 
of cases to which it adapts itself, with stomachs easily revolted by the grosser and ' 
bulkier medicines." Dr. S. has used it in chronic intermittents, and this class of 
diseases, and says : " It has succeeded admirably, relieving them more speedily and 
certainly than barks, ferruginous tonics, arsenic or strychnia." He recommends i 
it in secondary syphilis, occurring in persons of a scrofulous nature ; advises it in 
combination with stilhngia, in chlorosis; with sanguinaria, in "long-standing cases 
of neuralgia ;" and with erget in climacteric ynennrrhagia. Mote authority could i 
be adduced. Dose, three to four drops in a wine glass of water, twice daily 

Potassium, Chloride of. — Anti-neuropathic and an alterative purifier of ; 

the blood and humors. Used for nearly the same purpose as the chlorate of potas.sa. ! 

but possesses more causticity. \ 

Potassium., Iodide of. — Of all the preparations of iodine, this one is pre- j 

ferred by practitioners generally, for producing the constitutional effects of iodine | 

Recommended in the treatment of erysipelas, also as an antidote in chronic poisoning \ 

by lead, mercury, and other metals. See Jour. Materia Medica. vol. 5 and 6. Dose, | 

two to ten grains, properly diluted three times daily. - 

Quinia, Chlorate of. — This article was introduced into medicine within the I 
past year, by Dr. Lyons, of Dublin, who claims for it a febrifuge of surpassing potency. 
The results of his experience with this agent would place it foremost in the rank 
of agents to combat the graver forms of typhus, typhoid, pneumonia, scarlatina, small- 
pox, low phlegmonous inflammation, and low pyrexial states. When the heart is 



feeble it is said to possess an almost magical efficacy in reducing yet sustaining the 
pulsations. 

The Medical Press ami Circular, (Dec. lt>, 1866, page 618), says : "Further 
expetienre of this valuable agent has confirmed the views entertained by its invent- 
or." See Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 6. Dose, three to five grains, dissolved by the 
aid of a like number of drops of the perchloric acid. 

Qninia, Hypophosphite of — Febrifuge. The advantages claimed for this 
combination are, that the utility of quinine is increased. The range of diseases 
widened, in which its use is indicated. The properties of this preparation render it 
applicable to fever and asthenic conditions generally. See Jour. Materia Medica vol. 1. 

Quinia, Tannate of. — CTsed in nocturnal sweats. See M. Delioux' article, 
Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 2 

Quinia, Valerianate of. — Particularly useful in intermittent neuralgia ; said 
to produce less disorder upon the nervous system than the sulphate. 
Dose, one grain. 

Santonin. — Invaluable as a verm.ifuge. An aperient should follow its admin- 
istratilJh. Dose, two to five grains. 

Salicin. — Tonic and anti-periodic. Its medical properties very much resemble 
those of quinine, Dose, five to ten grains. 

Silver, Nitrate of. — Crystals, and chemical!}- pur^ 

Spirits of Lavender. — An agreeable perfume, and enters as an ingredient 
into a variety of preparations. 

Spirits of Lavender, Compound. — -Delightful aromatic compound. 
Much employed as an adjuvant and corrigent of other medicines; and as a remedy 
for gastric uneasiness, nausea, flatulence, and languor or faintness. Dose, thirty to 
sixty drops. 

Styptic Colloid. — Styptic and adhesive. The tincture of the muriate of iron 
constitutes the base of this styptic. A very efficient local application to arrest hem- 
orrhage from leech bites, woimds and surgical operations, &c. Applicable to 
venereal warts, spongy granulations, ulcers attended with profuse discharge, fungous 
sores, compound fractures, burns, and suppurating surfaces. 
Styptic Colloid.— Tannin forms the base. Uses obvious. 

Styptic Colloid, with Carbolic Acid.— Styptic, adhesive, and anti- 
septic. Its influence on the blood, serum, pus, and all fetid discharges is to solid- 
ify and deodorize. It modifies suppuration, and facilitates cicatrization. Nume- 
rous observations of gangrenous wounds, diffuse phlegmon and of necrosis are re- 
ported, which readily improved under the action of this solution. It forms a ben- 
eficial protectorate to sores and abrasions ; an efficient styptic in cases of external 
hemorrhages, and a valuable anti-septic in ill- conditioned ulcers, sloughing wounds, 
carbuncles and cancerous ulcerations. 

Styptic Colloid, "with CrecvSOte.— An excellent unirritating styptic and 
deodorizer. This valuable topical preparation possesses the styptic properties of 
tannin -with the antiseptic qualities of creosote. 

Syrup Blackberry, Compound Aromatic— This is prepared from the 
formulae of Surgeon Gen'l. U. S. A., and was found very efficacious in chiunic diar- 
rhea prevalent in the army ; it is also an excellent substitute for the spicea syrup 
01 Rnei where that remedy is deficient in astringency. Put up in four ounce and 
one pound bottles. See Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 2 and 6. 



Syrup of Citrate of Iron. — A mild chnlybeate. Used for the ordinary 
purposes of feirugiiii'us preparations. Each tluiJ dram contains citrate of iron five 
grains. Dose, one-half to one teaspoonful. 

Syj'up of Citrate of Iron and Strychnia. — Agreeable tonic, blood- 

re.sicuative, and nervine-stimulant. This combinatioH possesses the combined prop- 
ertie.s oi iron and strychnia. It has been successfully employed in atonic cases of 
dvi^pepsia, constipation, and in some forms of paralysis, amennorrhoea, and chorea 
Dose, one dram. 

Syrup of Iron and Quinia, Citrate of —A convenient form in which 
to administer iron and quinia. Especially adapted to children and delicate females. 

Syrup of Hypohosphites. — {Compound of Lime, Si>da, Potassa and 
/ran..) — Used in incipient phthisis, scrofulous ulcerations, &c. Its use is held to 
inf^east^ the nervous force and exert an important influence directly on the nervous 
systerii 0! a tonic character, and is unquestionably useful in that debiii rated condition 
to which it is often difficult to give a name, and particularly in debility from pro- 
longed lactation Dose, one teaspoonful three times a day. 

Syrup of Hypopliosphites of Iron.— Protoxide of iron forms the base, 
which possesses the advantages over any other salt of iron in being more permanent, 
more readily assimilated, and more soluble. Most cases requiring alterative tonics 
or hajmatinics, will respond favorably to its use. Dose, one dram containing one 
grain of hypophosphite of iron. 

Syrup of Hypophosphite of Iron and Manganese.— This combi- 
nation is devoid of the constipating ten(iency of some ferruginous preparations. 
Manganese, besides supplying the system with one of its elementary constituents, 
greatly enhances the tonic and hsematinic influence of the iron, and the hypo- 
phosphite salts readily disengage the phosphorus. These virtues render it a superior 
medicine in an impoverished condition of the blood, and impairment of the nervous 
and vital energies. Each fluid dram contains two grains of the combined salts. 

Dose, one dram three times a day. 

Syrup of Hypophosphites of Iron and Quinia.— A valuable med- 
icine in many cases of debility. Acts promptly on the system as a stimulant, tonic, 
and regenerator of nervous force and integrity. Dose, one to two drams. 

Ssmip of Hypophosphites, Lime and Soda. — {GhurcMlVs) — This 
preparation is recommended particularly in ca.ses of pulmonary tuberculosis. Each 
fluid dram contains six grains of the combined salts. Dose, one to three drams. 

Syrup of Iodide of Iron. — Tonic, emmenagogue, and deobstruent. Very 
valuable preparation, and particularly adapted to persons of a scrofulous diathesis. 
See Jour. Materia Medica, vol. 4 Dose, twenty to forty drops diluted with water. 

Syrup of Iodide of Iron and Manganese.— Tonic and alterative. 
Eminently applicable to that class of diseases where a depurator of the blood, a 
powerful tonic and active alterative, are indicated. Recommended in anaemia, cancer, 
syphilis, scrofula, and many diseases of the skin, and glandular enlargements. 

Duse, ten to thirty drops. 

Syrup of Iodide of Starch. — Produces the eutrophic effects of iodine with- 
out the occurrence of that gastric irritation and (he other unpleasant symptoms 
which occasionally attend the exhibition of iodine in a free state. Each fluid ounce 
contains iodine one and a half grains. Dose, teaspoonful tbree times daily. 

Syrup of Phosphates.— (<^<?w,^<''">^^ of TAme, Soda, Potafh and Iron.— 



Chemical food). The value of rhis article a« a nutritive tonic is too well knov.'n to 
need any extended notice. 

Syrup Phosphate of Iron, Qninia and Strychnia. — Highly es- 
teemed as a chalybeate, tonic and nervine stiuiulant. Uses of this combination will 
readily be suggested. Each fluid ounce contains phosphate of iron, one grain, phos- 
phate of quinia, one grain, phosphate of strychnia, Jj grain. Dose, one to two 
drams. 

Syrup of Protoxide of Iron with Iodide Potass.--in this prep 
aration are combuied a mild but efficacious chalybeate and valuable alterative. In 
cases of goitre, struuioiis enlargemeni of the giands, strimious ophthaiamia, leu 
coirhca, mercurial cachexy, and all tubercular affections, &c., this compound proves 
eavinently serviceable, enriching the blood, improving the digestion and invigorating 
thtt system generally. It may be employed in all atonic conditions, where tht iodide 
of potassa is indicated. Dose, one half to one dram. 

Syrup Protoxide Iron and Quinia.— Efficient as a tonic, antispasmodic 
and febrifuge. In febrile relapses, acute rheumatism, dyspepsia, general debilit}^ 
conva^scence from acute and chronic diseases, and every disease characterized by 
periodicity, it may be given with much confidence and assurance of success. 
Dose, one to two drams. 

Syrup of Protoxide of Iron, Rhei and Columbo.— A valuable rem- 
edy in indigestion. This syrup has been universally commended by all who have 
given it a fair trial a.id iS pronounced a medicine superior to any other similar 
preparation. b<icn xluld ounce contains iron, sixteen grains, rhubarb and columbo, 
each five grains. i)ose, one to two drams at meal times. 

Syrup of Pyro-phosphate of Iron.— For propertiet) nee Iron Pyro- 
phosphate Citro Ammoniacal. Dose, one dram. 

Syrup of Super-phosphate of Iron.— Tonic and refrigerant. This com- 
bination is regarded as serviceable in hysteria, leucorrhea. and impotency from 
masturbation, &c. It may be used with benefit in diabetes, and to allay nervous 
excitement Dose, one dram. 

Zinc, Acetate. — Topical remedy in form of collyrium, in ophthalmia, and as 
an injection in gonorrhoea, gleet, &c. Dose, one to twenty grains. 

Zinc, Chloride. — Used chiefly as an escharotic in cancerous affections, and to 
ulcers of an anomalous character ; it appears not only to destroy the diseased struc- 
ture, but to excite a new action on the surrounding parts. 

Zinc Iodide. — Tonic, astringent and anti-spasmodic. Used with success in 
chorea, scrofula^ cachexia and some forms of hysteria. See Jour Materia Medica, 
vol. 6. Dose, one grain. 

Zinc, Lactate. — Dr. Herpin introduced this preparation as a remedy in ep- 
ilepsy. He considers it no less potent than the oxide, and possessing over it the 
preference, in that it is more easily taken, and less liable to disagree with the stom- 
ach. Dose, two to ten grains. 

Zinc, Phosphate. — Tonic It may be administered in almost every case of 
debility supervening any disease, unattended with inflammation. 
Dose, one to three grains. 

Zinc, Tannate. — Highly useful in affections of the eyes accompanied by 
muco-purulent secretions. Thirty grains in six fluid ounces of water and one-h? f 
fluid ounce of mucilage is the solvent employed as a wash. 



Zinc, Valerianate. — Anti-spasmodic ; used in anomalous nervous afiections 
attendeiJ with palpitations of the heart, constriction of the throat, and in nervous 
affections which accompany chlorosis. Dose, one-half to three grains. 

WINE OF WILD CHERRY. 

We present the Medical Profession a new preparation of this valuable indigenous 
^emedJ^ That now offered is scientifically prepared, the process being the same as 
is employed in the preparation of our pure extracts. It is subject to no heat by 
which the hydrocyanic acid is decomposed, thus presenting the whole of the sed- 
ative properties and tonic virtues of the bark, with a portion of its tannic astringency 
held in solution by pure Sherry Wine. 

Uniting with a tonic power the property of quieting irritation and diminishing 
nervous excitability, it is adapted to cases where the digestive powers are impaired 
with general local irritation existing at the same time. Its uses are indicated in all 
cases requiring the use of a general tonic, particularly in cases of the impairment 
of the constitution by dyspepsia, indigestion, &c., in dyspepsia attended with neural- 
gic symptoms, and general debility attending inflammatory fevers; and in diseases 
in which debility of the system is united with general local irritation. 

On account of its gently astringent properties united with its sedative action, it 
has hcon found highly beneficial in complaints incident to the summer months, in 
diarrhoea chronic diarrhoea, and in preventing the weakness and relaxation of the 
bowels whirb produce them. 

Dose — From a teaspoonful to half a wineglass, three times a day. 

FERRATED WINE OF WILD CHERRY. 

We present to the medical profession a new preparation of this valuable indigen- 
ous remedy. Wild Cherry in various forms has long been a favorite remedy with 
American practitioners, as well as in domestic use; as a tonic and stimulant on the 
digestive organs, and at "the same time exercising a sedative influence on the cir- 
culations and nervous systems. From this combined action, it has been found very 
useful in a variety of diseases, or states of disease, when it is of importance to impart 
tonicity, and yet avoid any undue excitement of the heart and blood vessels, as 
during the first stages of convalescence from inflammatory attacks, and in many 
pulmonary diseases To the acknowledged property that Iron possesses of enriching 
the blood, may be a.-cribed its eflScacy in preventing the development of tubercular 
disease. It has Ion;.', been desired to unite these iujportant medical agents, which 
we have accomplished in this preparation for those cases of anasmic condition, where 
Cinchonas are inadmissible, as well as in cases of impaired health, with much nerv 
ous excitability. 

In cases of general debility, which often succeeds inflammatory diseases, dyspep- 
sia, scrofula, and in consumption it has been found very beneficial. 

Dose — one to four drams, three times a day. 



TO PHYSICIANS! ^Ml 

We constantly receive letters from Physicians complaining that they 
cannot always obtain such of our pre^sarations as they desfre to use, 
and often have others of an inferior quality substituted ; to provide for 
snch instances, if they will write us, we will give them the names of 
Druggists near them who keep a full assortment of our preparations 



Ferrated Wine of Wild Cherry and Iodine. 

Alterative, hiematinic, tonic and aiterial sedative, combining tlie 
valuable properties of Iodine, Pyrophosphate of Iron and Wild 
Cherry held in solution in pure Sherry Wine. In the management 
of diseases where it is desired to produce a salutary change in the 
disease, but without exciting any sensible evacuations or cardiac 
action, and at the same time to impart to the blood its haematin 
element, and to the digestive oi-gans tone, to the nervous system 
integi-ity. and thereby to combat general atony, this new and ele- 
gant cordial is confidently recommended. Its reparative action on 
the system of nutrition, and its anti-anaemic influence render it 
applicable to a largely diversified class of diseases. 

Each fluid ounce contains tvro grains of Iodine and twelve 
srains of Iron. 

Dose, one teaspoonful three times daily. 

-Wine of Wild Cherry and Iodine. 

Alterative, tonic, stomachic and arterial sedative, and operathag 
as a general excitant of the \-ital action, especially of the absorb- 
ent and crla-adular systems. In the numerous cases ot debility 
consequent on diseased glands or absorbents, particulaiiy when 
there is cardiac complication, in glandular enlargements and mor- 
bid growth occnning in persons of a dehcate constitution and of 
a scrofulous diathesis, in ovarian tumors, m enlai'gements and in- 
durations of the liver, spleen, mam?e, testes smd utents, especially 
when symptoms of constitutional decline have set in, and in many 
types oi hepatic aftections. this new remedy appears to be pre- 
eminently indicated. If symptoms oi iodism arise, the medicme 
sHonld be discontinued, and milk diet prescriliecL 

Each fluid ounce contains two grains of Iodine. 

Dose— One teaspoonful three times daily. 

Wine ot Wild Cherry and Iodide of Iron. 

Alterative, htematinic tonic, and arterial sedative, combining- tbe 
valuable properties of Iodine, Ii'on and Wild CheiTy held in solu- 
tion in pm-e Sherrv Wine. In the management of diseases where 
it is desii-ed to produce a salutary change in the disease, but witli*- 
ont exciting any sensible evacuations or cardiac action, ^nd at the 
same time to impart to the blood its haematin elenieri^ aiid'to'' the. 
dif^estive organs tone, and. thereby to combat general atony, jdus. | 
new and elegant cordial is confidently reconmiended, _ lis repara- 
tive action on the system of nutrition and its anti-anaemic infltiCTM*- 1 
render it applicable to xi.l^gely diversified class of .diseases, ^.„,;' 
-_- EacLAuid-QUJice..contamg_QiKhtj p:aing jp£-Iodid^^ Irons .^ 

Dose — One teaspoonful three times daily. 



LIST OF 

Fluid and Solid Extracts, Alkaloids, Eesinoids, Fharmaceutic Sugar-coated Fills and 
Granules, with Synopsis of their Medical Properties. 



Acbillea I»Iillefolium ( Yarroiv).—MM, aro- 
matic tonic, antispasmi)dic and astringeut. Useful 
in intermittents. flatulent colic and nervous afTections, 
and low forms of exautliematous fevers. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : } to ] dram. 

Aconltnm N^apellUiii (Aconite).— A powerful 
narcotic. Used m rlieumatism, neuralgia, epilepsy, 
paralysis, amaurosis, scrofula, sypliilis, intermittent 
fever, dropsies, iScc. Valual)le as an antiphlogistic 
remedy, and in cases ot" active cerebral congestion 
or inflammation. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : "J to S drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose : | to 1 grain. 

JPills — i, i and I grain. 

Aletrls Farlnosa {Star Grais).— One of the 
most intense bitters known. Used in infusion as a 
Ionic and stomachic ; lar?e doses produce nausea and 
a tendency to vomit. Has been employed in clironic 
rheumatism and dropsy. 

Fluid Extract— Dose : 10 to 30 drops. 

AletrtH—Dose : 1 to 3 grains. 

Aluuf! Rubra ( Tag ,-1Wer)— Alterative, emetic 
and aslriiigeiu. Uset'ul in scrofula, secondary syphi- 
lis, and several forms of ciiianeous diseases. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 1 to 2 drains. 

Alnuin — Dose: 1 to 3 grams 

Angelica Atropurpurea (Angelica Root). 
— This plant is aromatic, stimulani, carminative and 
diuretic. It is employed in flatulent colic, heart- 
burn, in diseases of tlie urinary organs and passive 
dropsy, and to promote menstruation. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

AntliemlN Nobllis (Chamomile). — ^Toiiic. 
Used in cases of enteel)led digestion, general debility, 
and languid appetite. In large doses will act as an 
emetic. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract— Dose: 4 to 20 grains. 

nils — 2 grains. 

Apocynum Aiidrosseinifolium {Bitter 
Kooti. — Valuable in the treatment of chronic hepatic 
affections; used as an emetic and diaphoretic; as au 
alterative in syphilitic- and scrofulous affections, as 
well as m intermittents and the low stage of typhoid 
fevers. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: Tonic, 10 to 20 drops; Dia- 
phoretic, 15 to 25 drops ; Emetic, i to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 2 to 8 grains. 

Apocynin — Dose: J to 2 grains. 

Pilh — 2 grains. 

Apocynum Cannablnum (Indian Hemp). 
— Powerfully emetic ; in decoction, diuretic and dia- 
phoretic. It produces much nausea, dimmishes the 
frequency of the pulse, and appears to produce drow- 
siness, independently of the exhaustion consequent 
upon vomiting. Of magical efficacy in dropsy. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: Tonic, 5 to 15 drops; Emetic, 
30 to 60 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 1 to 5 grains. 

Pills — 1 grain. 

Aralla Hispida (Dwarf Elder). — Possesses 
sudorific, diuretic and alterative properties. It is re- 
commended as serviceable in dropsy, gravel and sup 
pression of urine. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 1 to 2 drams. 

Aralla Racemosa ( Spikenard ).— Alterative 
aaid gently stimulant. Cutaneous, rheumatic, syphi- 
litic and pulmonary affections have been successfully 
treated by this agent 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 1 to 3 drams. 



Arctostapliylos Uva Ursi (Uva Ursi).— 
Uva Ursi is an astringent tonic, and has a specific 
direction to the urinary organs, for complaints of 
which It is chiefly used ; has reputation as an antili- 
thic in gravel, chronic nephritis, ulceration of tlie 
kidneys, bladder and urinary passages. It has been 
recommended in place of Ergot of Rye. It does not 
cause sucli powerful contractions, nor is its use at- 
tended with as much danger. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: | to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 5 to 15 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Arlstolocbia Serpentaria ( Virginia Snake- 
root). A stimulant tonic, used in typhoid fever, 

whether idiopathic or symptomatic, when the system 
begins to feel the necessity for support, but is unable 
to Bear active stimulation. Its action maybe much 
improved by combination witli Cinchona, particularly 
in intermittent fevers. Employed as a gargle iii 
malignant sore throat. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: | te J dram. 

Arnica Montana (Leopard''s JBajit).— Arnica 
IS a stimulant in adynamic! diseases; in small doses, 
it increases the perspiraiion and accelerates the 
pulse. Is used as a tonic in rheumatism and diseases 
of the bladder, but more particularly as a domestic 
remedy in sprains, bruises, rheumatism and local in- 
flaramation. 

Fluid Extract-Dose: 10 to 60 drops. 

Artemesia Abrotanuni (Soutliernwood). 
Tonic and antispasmodic. Administered, with bene« 
fit, in intermittents to increase the appetite, in atonic 
dyspepsia, to promote the early re-establishment of 
the digestive tunctioiis to their normal state. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 30 to 60 drops. 

Artemesia Vulgaris (Mugwort). — Anthel- 
mintic and tonic. Mugwort is reputed beneficial in 
epilepsy, hysteria and amenorrhea. It has been used 
successfully in fevers. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 20 to 40 drops. 

Artemisia, Absintliium ( irormu'ooi).— An- 
thelmintic, tonic and narcotic. Used in intermittent 
fever, jaundice and worms. Promotes the appetite in 
atonic dyspepsia, amenorrhea, obstinate diarrhea, 4c. 
Externally, it is useful in fomentations for bruises 
and local inflammations. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to J drams. 

Solid Extract— Dose: 3 to 5 grains. 

Arum Tripliyllum (Wild Turnip).— Aciii, 
expectorant, diaphoretic. Recommended in flatu- 
len;e, croup, whooping cough, stomaiites, asthma, 
chronic laryngitis, bronchitis, low stage of typhus 
fever, and various affections connected with a cachec- 
tic state of the system. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 10 to 20 drops. 

Asclepias Incarnata ( White Indian Hemp). 
— Emetic, cathartic and diuretic. Useful in catarrh, 
asthma, rheumatism, syphilis and worms. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 20 to 40 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to 5 grains. 

Pills— 2 grains. 

Asclepias Tuberosa (Pleurisy Root) — 
Pleurisy Root is carminative, tonic and diuretic; 
used in pleurisy, pneumonia, catarrh, febrile diseases, 
acute rheumatism, and dysentery. Efficient in flatu- 
lency and indigestion. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: J to 2 drams. 

Aselepin— Dose: 1 to 5 grains. 

Pills— 1 grain. 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTKACTS. 



Aspldiuni Fillx Mas (Male Fern).— In spe- 
cific- iiropcrly is amhelmeiuic. The accouut* of its 
erti.-aoy in tli'e trealraeiii ot" tapeworm are too numer- 
ous lo'ailinil of any reasonable doubt on tlie subject. 

Flidd Extract — Dose : ;^ to 2 drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 3 to 15 grains. 

J^iiis — 2 grams 

Ati'opa Belladonua (Belladonna). — Bella- 
ddiiiii is a powerful narcotic, possessing also diapho- 
retic and diuretic properties. Exceedingly valuable 
ill convulsions, neuralgia, wliooping-cough, rheuma- 
tism, gout, paralysis, and similar dtsea.^es haviug 
tlieir seat chiefly in the nervous system. It is es- 
teemed as a prophylactic in scarlatina, and is also 
used with success m quinsy and hernia. 

Fli'id Extract — Dose : 3 to 10 drops. 

~ "/ Exttact — Dose : | to 1 grain 
A — I, J and 1 grain. 

Auraiitii Cortex (O^aHjre Peel).—l\. is a mild 
tonic, carminative, and stomachic, but is seldom used 
alone. It IS a u-ieful addilion to bitter iiiFusioiis and 
deenctions. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 2 dram-i. 

Baptlsla Tlnctoria (Wild Mrfiyo).— Princi- 
pally used o:i account of its aiitisepiic virtues It is 
an excellent application as a wash or gargle to all 
species of ulcers, as malignant ulcerous sore mouth 
and throat, mercurial sore mouth, scrofulous and 
syphilitic uphllialmia, &c. 

Fluid Exirac(r-l)ose : ^ to J dram 

B.iptiiin — Dose : ^ to J grain 

Barosina Oreuata (Buchu). —Bachn is given 
chiefly 111 complaints of the urinary organs attended 
with increased uric acid, as gravel, chronic catarrh 
of the bladder, morbid irritation of the bladder and 
urethra; also in dyspepsia, chronic rheumatism, cuta- 
neous affections, and dropsy. 

Fluid Exttact — Dose : i to 2 drams. 

BucHtJ CoMPOu.vD — Composed of Buchu, Uva Ursi, 
Jun iper and Cubebs. 
Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 2 drams. 

Benzoin, Odorlferum (Fever Bush).—ATO- 
matic, stimulant, and tonic. Useful in the manage- 
ment of ague and typhoid forms of fevers, as a re- 
frigerant and exhilarant in various febrile conditions, 
for allaying excessive heat and uneasiness. 

Fluid Extract— Dose : J to 1 dram. 

Berberls Vnlgarls (BarbetTy). — Tonic and 
laxative Used in cases where tonics are indicated. 
Mild in its operation, and favorably spoken of in the 
treatment of jaundice, chronic diarrhea and dysen- 
tery, cholera infantum, &c. Serviceable as a wash 
or gargle in aplhous sore mouth and in chronic op- 
thalinia. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 1 dram. 

Cauella Alba (Canella). — Canella is possessed 
of the ordinary properties of aromatics ; acts as a 
local stimulant and gentle tonic ; valuable as an ad- 
dition to tonic or purgative medicines m debilitated 
states of the digestive organs. Seldom prescribed 
except in combinations. 

Fluid Extract— Dose : 15 to 30 drops. 

Cannabis Indica {Indian Hemp, Foreign).— 
Phrenic, anaesthetic, antispasmodic, and hypnotic. 
Unlike opium, it does not constipate the bowels, 
lessen the appetite, create nausea, produce dryness 
of the tongue, check pulmonary secretions, or pro- 
duce headache. Used w^ith success in hysteria, cho- 
rea, gout, neuralgia, acute and sub-acute rheuma- 
tism, tetanus, hydrophobia, and the like. 

Fluid Extract — Dose ; 5 to 10 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 1 to 2 grains. 

Fills — J to 1 grain, 

Capslcnm Annnnm (Cayenne Pepper.)— K 
powerful stimulant, and a condiment ; is very useful 
in correcting flatulency in dyspepsia ; promoting di- 
gestion; in sea-sickness; on the first occasion of 
nausea ; in dropsies ; in malignant sore throat and 
scarlet fever ; as a gargle ; in iuterniittents, with 



Quinine, and low forms of fever ; in cholera ; and in 
hot climates, for obviating the black vomit. 

Fluid Exlrnct — Dose : 5 to 15 drops. 

Pills — 1 grain. 

Cassia Acutlfolia (Senna). — It is well adapted 
to cases wliicii require an active and certain purga- 
tive ; in constipation and inactivity of the alimen- 
tary canal, requiring frequent use of purgatives ; in 
worms; in determination of blood to the head. It 
can be used by persons of all ages as a purgative, 
with security. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 1 to 2 drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 3 to 8 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Sesna, Aqueous. — A mild and sure purgative, with 
properties similar to the last. 
Fluid Extract— Dose : I to 2 drams. 

Senna and Jalap. — This is a concentrated form of 
the compound powder of Jalap, and is a good anti- 
bilious cathartic. 

Fluid E.rtract— Dose : i to 1 dram. 

Cepltsells Ipecacuanlia (Ipecac).— U is a 
mild and toieralily certain enieiic, and being^ usually 
thrown from the stomach in one or two efforts, it is 
nnt apt 10 produce dangerous eirecls. It is especially 
useful when poisons have been swallowed; i:i cases 
of dysentery ; us a nauseate in asthma, whooping- 
cough, and the hemorrhages ; and as an expectorant 
in catarrhal and other pulmonary affections. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : Expectorant, 5 to 10 drops ; 
Emetic, ^ to 1 dram. 

Pills of Ipecac — } grain. 

Pills of Ipecac and Opium — (J gr. Op., i gr. Ip,, 1 
gr. Sul, Pot.) 2 grains. 

Pills of Ipecac and Opium — (1 gr. Op., 1 gr. Ip., 3 
grs. Sul, Pot.) 4 grains. 

Pills of Ipecac and Squill — 3 grains. 

Chelldoulnm ITIajUS (Great Celandine).— A* 
a drastic hydragogue, fully equal to gamboge. Use- 
ful in hepatic affections, and is supposed to exert a 
special influence on the spleen. Applied in the form 
of a poultice to scrofulous and cutaneous diseases 
and piles ; also, to indolent ulcers, fungous growth, 
&;c. 

Fluid ExtrMt— Dose : 10 to 20 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 5 to 10 grains, 

Clielone Glabra (Balmony). — Tome, cathar- 
tic, and anthelmintic. Valuable in jaundice and he- 
patic diseases, likewise for the removal of worms. 
Used as a tonic, in small doses, in dyspepsia, debility 
of the digestive organs, and during convalescence 
from febrile and inflammatory diseases. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 1 dram, 

Chelonin — Dose : 1 to 2 grains. 

Chenopodlnin Anthelmlnticum ( Worm- 
seed). — Wormseed is one of our most efhcient indi- 
genous anthelmintics, and it is thought to be particu- 
larly adapted to the expulsion of the round worms in 
children. A dose of it is usually given before break- 
fast in the morning, and at bedtime in the evening, 
for three or four days successively, and then foUowea 
by some brisk cathartic. 

Fluid Sxiract — Dose : 1 to 2 drams. 

Chimapbila '%Jm'b eW&t &(Pipnssewa. 

Princess Pini".). — Tonic, diuretic, and astringent. 
Highly recommended m dropsy; useful in disordered 
digestion and general debility, rheumatism, nephritic 
affections, and scrofula; in obstinate, ill-conditioned 
ulcers; in cutaneous eruptions ; and m chronic affec- 
tions of the urinary organs. 

Fluid Extract— Dose : 1 dram. 

Solid Extract— Dose : 10 to 20 grains. 

Pills — 3 grains. 

Clmlcifaga Racemosa (Black Cohosh).— 
This remedy possesses an undoubted influence over 
the nervous system, and has been successfully used 
in chorea, epilepsy, nervous ezcitabiliiy, asthma, de- 
lirium tremens, and many spasmodic affections. In 
febrile diseases it frequently produces diaphoresis 
and diuresis. 



% 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTRACTS. 



Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 2 drams 
Solid Extract — Dose : 4 to 8 grains. 
Ci>nicifugin — Dose : 1 to 6 grains. 
PilU of Cimicifugin — 1 grain. 

Black Cohosh CoMPOtrND — Composed of Black Co- 
hash. Wild Cherry^ Ipecac, Liquorice and Seneka. 
Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 1 dram. 

Cincliona (Peruvian Bark). — Valuable in fuuc- 
tioual derangements of the stomach, improving diges- 
tion, and invigorating the nervous and muscular sys- 
tems in diseases of general debility, and in convales- 
cence from exhausting diseases. As a tonic 't will 
be found of advantage in measles, small-pox, scarla- 
tina, during the absence of fever or inflammation, 
also m cases where the system is exhausted by puru- 
lent discharges. It may likewise be used in all 
chronic diseases attended with debility, as scrofula, 
dropsy; obstinate cutaneous diseases, ice. To obtain 
this antiperiodic influence, the red and yellow barks 
are considered superior to the pale, while the pale is 
preferred as a tonic. 

Fluid Extract of Cinchona — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Fluid Extract of Cinchona, Red — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Fluid Extract of Cinchona, Calasaya — Dose: J to 1 
dram. 

Elixir Calasaya — Dose: 1 to 2 dram. 

Elixir Calasaya, Iron, Pyrophosphate — Dose: 1 to 8 
drams. 

Elixir Calasaya, Iron a7id Bismuth — Dose: 1 to 2 
drams. 

Elixir Calasaya, Iron, and Strychnia — Dose: ^ to 2 
drams. 

CiN'CHONA CoMPOtJND — Composcd of Cinchona 
Orange Peel, Gentian, Serpentaria, Cloves and Hed 
Saunders. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Clssampelos Pareira (Pareira Brava). — Use- 
ful in calculous affections, diseases of the urinary 
passages, chronic inflammation and ulceration of the 
kidneys and bladder. It allays irritability of the 
bladder, and corrects the disposition to profuse mu- 
cous secretions. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 1 dram. 

Cocculus Palinatus [Colombo).— l<l\\iX tonic. 
Used in simple dyspepsia ; in those states of debility 
which attend convalescence from acute disorders, 
particularly in enfeebled condition of the alimentary 
canal, in dysentery, cholera morbus and cholera in- 
fantum. 

Fluid Extract— X>oie : 20 to GO drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 4 to 10 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Colcliicuiu Au.tuiunale. — Colchicum is prin- 
cipally used in tits vanous forms of gout and rheu- 
matism, in whrctt" experience has abundantly proved 
it to be a highly valuable remedy. It is also recom- 
mended in inflammatory and febrile diseases, diseases 
of the heart, in various nervous complaints, as chorea, 
hysteria, and hypochondriasis, and chrome bronchial 
affections. 

Fluid Extract of Colchicum Root— Host : 3 to 12 
drops. 

Fluid Extract of Colchicum Seed — Dose : 5 to 15 

drops. • ' • • . . , ' .::,■-.:. 

Pills — ^ grains. 

Comptonia Asplenifolia [Sweet Fern). — 
Tonic, astringent and alterative. It possesses all the 
properties of the tonic and astringent bal.«ams, and is 
useful in dysentery, diarrhea, hemoptysis ani Icu- 
corrhea. Barton recommends it for summer com- 
plaints of children. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : ^ to 1 dram. 

Coniuut ^Sacul&twai:' {Poipm- 'Hemlock). — 
Powerful narcotic. Anodyne, anwspasmodic, and 
deobstruent. Used iu chronic eiilargeraeut of the 
liver, cltronic rheumatism, syphilis, neuralgic affec- 
tions, asthma, &c. 

Fluid Extract^-Jiose : 5 to 20 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose : J to IJ grains. , . 

Pills — |, i and 1 grain each. 

Pills of Conium and Ipecac — 1 grain 



Convallaria Multlflora (Solomon^s Seal).— 
Tonic, mucilaginous and mildly astringent. Of much 1 1 
value in leuoorrhea, menorriiagia, female debility 
and pectoral affections. An infusion will be found of 
great eflicacy in irritable conditions of the intestines, 
as well as iu chronic inflammations of these parts, 
especially when attended with burning sensatioHs, 
pains? &c. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 2 to drams. 

Coptis Trifolia (GoW TAread).— Simple touici 
bitter It closely resembles quassia in properties) 
and is employed when a pure tonic is desired. It 
proves serviceable m atonic dypepsm and logs of 
appetite. JVIuch used as a gargle in various ulcera- 
tions of the mouth. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 1 dram. 

Cornus Florida (Boxwood, Dogwood).— Tome, 
astringent and stimulaiil. Its internal use increases 
the force and frequency of the pulse and elevates the 
temperature of the body. It has been successfully 
substituted for cinchona in the treatment of intermit- 
tents. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : J to 2 drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 5 to 10 grains, 

Cornin — Dose: 1 to 10 grains. 

Pills of Cornus, Extract — 2 grains. 

Pills vf Cornin — 2 grains. 

Corydalis 'Povmosa. (Turkey Corn).— One of 
the best remedies in syphilitic affections ; valuable ill 
scrofula, and possesses tonic properties similar to the 
gentian, Colombo, or other pure bitters. Its altera- 
tive powers render it of immense value. 

Fluid Extract— Doif : 10 to 40 drops. 

Corydalin — Dose : ^ to 1 grain. 

Crocus Sativus (Saffron). — Einmenagogue 
and diaphoretic. Has been of benefit m amenorrhea, 
dysmenorrhea, chlorosis, hysteria, and m suppression 
of the menstrual discharge. It is a well-known do- 
mestic remedy in promoting the eruption in exanlhe- 
matous diseases. It imparls color and flavor to offi- 
cinal tinctures. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 20 to CO drops. 

Crotou ISIeuteria (CascariUa).—A pleasant 
and gentle aromatic and tonic ; employed in dyspep- 
sia, chronic diarrhea and dysentery, flatulent colic 
and other cases of debility of the stomach and bowels, 
and to arrest vomiting. Cascarilla counteracts the 
tendency of cinchona to produce nausea. 

Fluid Extract— Dose : 20 to 30 drops. 

Cuciizuis ColocyutlilM IColocynth). — Colo- 
cynth is a powerful drastic, hydragogue cathartic, 
exciting inflammation of the mucous membranes of 
the intestines, causing severe griping, vomiting .and 
bloody discharges. From its powerful and harsh'ac- 
tion it is rarely used alone. It is principally useful 
in passive dropsy, in cerebral derangements, and for 
the purpose of overcoming torpid conditions of the 
biliary and digestive system. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 5 to 15 grains. 

Solid Extract of Colocynth Ccmipound — Dose: 2 to 
30 grains. 

Pills of Colocynth, Comp. Ext. — 3 grains. 

Pills of Colocynth, Comp. E.xt. and Blue Pill— 2 
grains. . . ; : . . 

Pills of Colocynth, Com. Ext. and Ipecac — 3 grains. 

Pills of Colocynth, Comp. Ext. and Hyoscyainus — 3 
grains. 

Pills of Colocynth, Ccmp. Exf. an J Calomel— 3 
grains. ' ' . • 

Pills of Colocynth, Comp. Ext and Podophyllin. 

Curcuma lioiiga (r«r«jenc). — Stimulant, aro- 
matic, tonic, discussive and healing ; used especially 
in the jaundice and the itch ; also eraploj'ed in debili- j 
tated states of the stomach, intermittent fever and ! 
dropsy. ; 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 2 to 3 drams. i 

Oypripedluiu Pubescens (Ladies' Slipper). 
— Tonic, nervine, antispasmodic. Employed in ner- 
vous headache, nervous irritability and excitabilityi 
hysteria, neuralgia, morbid condition of the nervous 
system, &c 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTRACTS. 



Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram 
Solid Extract — Dose: 5 to 15 grains 
Cypripedin — Dose : 2 to 4 grains. 

Pills— 2 grains. 

Datura Stramonium (Stramonium) —'Snr- 
cotic, aiuispasmodic, anodyne, sedative. Employed 
■ ill tetanus, mania, epilepsy, cliorea. palsy, and vari- 
ous nervous aiTeclions. Effectual in many acuto 
pains, as in those arising t>om chronii; diseases, or 
acute uterine affections, !cc. 

Fluid Ex'.ract — Dose: 5 lo 20 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose : i to 1 grain. 

Pills — J to 1 grain. 

Digitalis Purperea (Foxglove).— Is narcotic, 
sedative and diuretic ; sometimes emetic and purga- 
tive. It is prescribed as a sedative in liyperlropy of 
tlte heart, and in aneurism of the large vessels pro- 
ceeding from it ; in inflammatory diseases ; in dropsy, 
on account of its great diuretic power; in hemor- 
rhage, as a sedative. It possesses great power over 
the circulation, and is peculiar m its operation. It is 
one of those remedies whieli should never be admin- 
istered without an accurate knowledge of their 
medicinal properties. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : 5 to 10 drops 

Solid Extract — Dose : ^ to 1 grain. 

Pills of Digitalin—l-Zi grain. 

Pills of Digitalis, Ext. — J grain. 

Dloscorea Vlllosa (Wild Yam). — Antispas- 
modic. Succe3«fully used in bilious colic. Held to 
be as much a specific in bilious colic as qumia in in- 
termitlents. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 5 lo 30 drops. 

Dioscorein — Dose : 1 to G grains. 

Dlpterix Odorata (Tongua). — Tonqua is em- 
ployed principally to flavor unpalatable medicines 
and for perfumery. 

Fluid Extract— 

Epigsea Repens (Trailing Arhutns).—DnircUc 
and astringent. Is highly beneficial in gravel and all 
diseases ol the urinary organs. It is prepared and 
administered in the same way with the uva nrsi and 
buchu. It acts similarly, and has given relief in 
cases where these have failed. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Erechtliites Hleracllollus (Firewecd).— 
Tonic, astringent and alterative. Is reported ser- 
viceable in diseases of the mucous tissues of the 
lungs, stomach and bowels, in the treatment of 
cholera, and dysentery, and summer complaints of 
children, as almost a specific for all active hemor- 
rhages. Useful in spasms of stomacli and boweU, 
hysteria, and diarrhea of pregnant females. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Ergot a (Ergot). — Ergot operates with great 
I eneigy upon the contractile property of the uterus. 
It has been given to promote the expulsion of the 
placenta, to restrain inordinate hemorrhages after 
delivery, and to hasten the discharge of the foetus in 
protracted cases of abortion. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Pills — 1 grain. 

E u o n y m u 8 Atropnrpnrens ( Wahoo).— 
Tonic, laxative, alterative, diuretic and expectorant; 
successfully used in inlermiuents, dyspepsia, torpid 
Slate of the liver, constipation, dropsy, and pulmonary 
iiffections. . 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 draiiui. 

Eupatorlnin Perfollatum (Boyieset) — 
Tonic, diaphoretic ; and in large doses, emetic and 
aperient. Used in colds, fevers, catarrhs, remittent 
and intermittent fevers, typhoid pneumonia, dropsy, 
dypepsia and general debility. Tlie Eitpurpurin, 
from the E. Purpureum, is a most powert'ul diuretic. 
Used witk excellent effect in all clironic urinary dis- 
orders. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 5 to 20 grains. 

Eupatorin — Dose: 1 to 2 grains. 

Eupurpurin — Dose: 3 to 4 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 



Enpatorium Purpurenm (Queen of tht 
Meadow). — The root is bitter, astringent, stimulant 
and powerfully diuretic. It is useful in all diseases 
of the urinary organs, dropsy, rheumatism, gout, and 
female weaknesses and obstructions. Highly recom- 
mended in gravelly complaints, cystitis, nephritis, dia- 
betes insipidus, incontinence of urine, &c. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 3 drams. 

Eupuipurin — Dose: 3 to 4 grains. 

Galium Aperlue {CZe«i-ersl.— Valuable as a 
refrigerant and diuretic, and beneficial in many dis- 
eases of the urinary organs, as suppression of urine, 
calculous affections, inliammation of the kidneys and 
bladder, and in the scalding of urine in gonorrhea. 
It is contra-indicated in diseases of a passive charac- 
ter, on account of its refrigerant and sedative effects 
upon the system, but may be used freely in fevers 
and ail acute diseases. 

Fluid Extract — Dose:' ] to 2 drams. 

Gaultlieria Procumbens (Winter green).— 
Stimulant, aromatic and' astringent. It is used in in- 
fusion in chronic diarrhea, as a diuretic in dysury, 
and as an emmenagogue. 

Fluid Extract— Dose : 2 to 4 drams. 

Gelseminum Seiupervirens ( Yellow Jessa- 
mine). — It is an excellent febrifuge; has proved effi- 
cacious in nervous and bilious headache, colds, pneu- 
monia, hemorrhage, chorea, though it is in fevers 
especially in which its efficacy has been mostly ob- 
served. i\Iay be used in all forma of neuralgio, ner- 
vous headache, toothache, lockjaw or tetanus. 

Fluid Extntct—Dose: 3 to 20 drops. 

Gelseminin — k to 2 grains. 

Geutlaua liUtea (Gentian).— Ix is a valuable 
tonic, adapted to those cases requiring the use of pure 
or simple bitters. It excites the appetiie, invigo- 
rates the powers of dige«iion, and may be used in all 
cases if diseases dependent on pure debility of the 
digestive organs, or requiring a general tonic. It 
has proved useful in dyspepsia, gout, hysteria, scrof- 
ula, intermittent fever, diarrhea, and worms, but is 
rather applicable to the condition of the stomach and 
system generally, than to any specific disease. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to 15 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Gentun Compound — Composed of Gentian, Orange 
Peel, Cloves, Canella and Red Saunders. 
Fluid Extract — Dose: J lo 1 dram. 

Geranium Ittacnlatuni (CranesbiU).—\ 
powerful astringent. Used in chronic diarrhea, 
cholera infantum, hemorrhage, &c. It forms an ex- 
cellent local application as a gargle in sore throats 
and ulcerations of the mouth, and is adapted to the 
treatment of such discharges as continue from de- 
bility, after the removal of their exciting causes. 
The absence of unpleasant taste, and all other offen- 
sive qualities, renders it peculiarly serviceable in 
the cases of infants, and of persons with very deli- 
cate stomachs. 

Fluid Extract— I>oif. J to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to 15 graius. 

Geraniin — Dose: 1 to 5 grains. 

Pills of Gcraniin — Dose: 1 gram. 

Pills of Ex. Geranium — 2 graius. 

Creum BiTale (Aliens' Root).— Tonic and as- 
tringent. Used in numerous diseases, as chronic he- 
morrhages, chronic diarrhea and dysentery, leucorrhea, 
dyspepsia, phthisis, congestions of the abdominal vis- 
cera, micrmittents. ulcerations, &c 

Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Gillenla Trifoliata (Indian Physic).— h is a 
mild and tolerably certain emetic; and being usually 
thrown from the stomach in one or two efl^rts, it is 
not apt to produce dangerous effects. It is especially 
useful when poisons have boeu swallowed; incases 
of dysentery; a« a nauseate in asthma, whoopin"- 
Gough, and the hemorrhages; and as an expectoraTit 
m catarrhal and other pulmonary affeolions. 

Fl}tid Extract— Dose: 4 to 12 drops 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTRACTS. 



Glycyrrliiza (Liguorice). --Liquorice is an agree- 
able demulcent and expectorant. The extract is 
widely employed as a corrigent in the preparation of 
many unpalatable medicines. As a remedial drug it 
may be used in catarrhal and bronchial affections, 
coughs, pulmonary and hectic cases attended with 
thir.st, also to allay irritation of the urinary organs, 
and the pain in diarrhea. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 4 dram*. 

Gossypiam Serbacenm (Co»on).— Emmen- 
agogue, parturient and abortive. It acts with as 
much efficiency and more safety than ergot. It ope- 
rates without pain or gastric disturbance, producnig 
no other effect than the excitation of the menstrual 
secretions, except perhaps some degree of anodyne 
influence. It is an excellent remedy in the treat- 
ment of chlorotic and aneemic females. 

Fluid Extract — ^Uuse; 4 drams. 

HsematoxyloB Campecblanam (Log- 
wood) — It is tonic and astringent, without any irri- 
tating properties. May be used with ranch advan- 
tage in diarrhea, dysentery, and in the relaxed con- 
dition of the bowels succeeding cholera infantum. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 6 to 30 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Hamamells Virglnlca (Witch Hazel). — 
Witch Hazel is tonic, astringent and sedative; used 
in hemoptysis, hemalemesis and other hemorrhages, 
as well as in diarrhea, dysentery, and excessive mu- 
cous discharges; iu incipient phtnisis, in which it is 
supposed to possess an anodyne influence; also for 
sore mouili. painful tumors. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

HeliaBthemam Canadense (Frostworth). 
— This herb appears to possess tonic and astringent 
properties. Dr. Ives, of New Haven, Ct., is said to 
have first introduced it into regular practice. He re- 
gards it a very efficient remed j in scrofula. Dr. D. A. 
Tyler, of tlie same city, also speaks highly of this 
plant, and claims it may be used with decided advan- 
tage in strumous affections, secondary syphilis, as a 
gargle in scarlatina and as a wash in prurigo. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Helleborns Niger (Black HeUbore).—l\. is a 
irastic hydragogue cathartic, possessed of emmena- 
gogue powers; occasionally found useful in chlorosis, 
amenorrhea, &c. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 10 to 20 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 1 to 5 grains. 

Pills— I grain. 

Helouias Dlolca (False VnlcoTn).— Tonic, di- 
uretic and vermifuge. Beneficial in colic, ana in 
atony of ilie generative organs. It acts as a uterine 
tonic in leucorrhea, amenorrhea, and to remove the 
lendency to repeated and successive miscarriages. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 3 drams. 

Helonin — Dose: J to 1 grain. 

Hepatica Americana (Ztfcrioorj)— Liver- 
wort is a very mild, demulcent tonic and astringent, 
supposed by some to possess diuretic and deobstiuent 
virtues. It has been used in fevers, hepatic com- 
plaints, hemoptysis, coughs, &c. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 2 to 3 drams. 

Huniiilus liUpulns (Kop).— Hops are tonic 
and moderately narcoiic, and have been recom- 
mended in diseases of local and general debility, as- 
sociated with morbid vigilance, or other nervous de- 
rangements. Useful in dyspepsia and the nervous 
tremors, wakefulness and delirium of drunkards. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 5 to 20 grains. 

Lupulin — Dose: 6 to 10 grains. 

Hydrangea Arborescens (Hydrangea).— 
This plant was introduced to the medical profession by 
Dr. S. W. Butler, of Burlington, N. J., as a remedy 
for the removal of calculous or stony deposits in the 
bladder, and for relieving the excruciating pain atten- 
''■i:U on the passage of a calculus through the urethra, 
r.ie power of curing stone in the bladder is not 



claimed for it; it is only while the deposits are small, 
when in that form of the disease known as gravel, that 
a is an efficient remedy; then by removing the nucleus,- 
which if allowed to remain in the organ would in-i 
crease in size and form stone, the disease is averted. 
Fluid Extract — Dose : 1 to 2 drams. 

Hydrastis Canadensis (Golden Seai).— Used 

in dyspepsia, chronic affections of the nervous coats of 
the stomach, erysipelas, remittent, intermittent and 
typhoid fevers, stupor of the liver, and where tonics 
are required. In combination with geranium it fornw 
an efficient remedy in chronic diarrhea and dysentery. 

Fluid Extract — Dose : i to 2 drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose : 2 to 5 grains. 

Hydraslin (Resinoid) — Dose: J to 5 grains. 

Hydrastin (Neutral) — Dose : 2 to 6 grains. 

Hydrastina (Alkaloid) — Dose : 1 to 5 grains. 

PiUs—1 grain. 

Hyoscyamns Niger (Henbant). — It ranks 
among the narcotics. It accelerates the circulation,, 
increases the general warmth, occasions a sense of' 
heat in the throat, and after a short period induces sleep. 
It does not constipate like opium, but olten proves I 
laxative. It is most frequently applied in neuralgic 
and spasmodic affections, rheumatism, gout, hysteria, 
and various pectoral diseases, such as catarrh, pertus- 
sis, asthma, phthisis, &e. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 10 to 20 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: i to 1 grain. 

Hyoscyamin — Dose: f to J grain. 

Pills — i, i and 1 grain. 

Hypericum Perforatum (Johnswort).-—- 
Astringent, sedative ami diuretic. It is beneficially j 
administered in suppression of urine, chronic urinary | 
affections, diarrhea, dysentery, worms, jaundice, me« • 
norrhagia, hysteria and hemoptysis. Externally ap« ■ 
plied to caked breasts, hard tumors and eccbymosis, it jl 
proves of service. j 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. \ 

Inula Helenlum (Elecampane). — Aromatic, . 
stimulant and tonic. Some claim it also has diuretic, -! 
diaphoretic, emmenagogue and expectorant properties. ' 
The chief use of Elecampane is in chronic pulmonary i 
affections, weakness of the digestive organs, dyspepsia i 
and cutaneous diseases, hepatic derangements and i 
general debility. i 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to I dram. 

IpomsBa Jalapa (Jalap).—lt is an active ca- ■ 
thariic, operating briskly, and sometimes painfully upon i 
the bowels, producing copious and watery stools. It ^ 
is advantageously employed in dropsy, in the treat- 
ment of hip disease, and scrofulous affections of the 
other joints. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to 8 grains 

Jalapin — Dose: 1 to 2 grains. 

Pills — 1 grain. 

Iris Floreutlna (Orrw).— Possesses cathartic I 
propertiss, and, in large doses, acts as an emetic. 
Chiefly used in compounds, on account of the agree- 
able odor it imparts. 

Fluid Extract— To be used in compounds at dis- 
cretion. 

Iris Versicolor (Blue Flag).— A potent remedy 
in dropsy, scrofula, hepatic, renal and splenetic affec- 
tions. It acts more particularly on the glandular sys- 
tem, and, in large doses, it evacuates and exhausts the 
system, acting on the liver, and the alimentary canal 
throughout, fulfilling most of the indications of mer- 
cury. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 20 to 60 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 1 to 4 grains. 

Iridin — Dose: J to 5 grains. 

Iridin, Pills of — i and 1 grain. 

Juglans Ciuerea (Butternut).— X mild cathar- 
tic. Very efficacious in habitual constipation, dysen- 
tery and other affections of the bowels. It evacuates 
without debiliiating the alimentary canal 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 5 to 20 grains 

Juglandin — Dose: 1 to 5 grains 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTRACTS. 



Junlperus Communis (Jumper Berries).— 
Slomachic, carminative and diuretic. Employed with 
good success in cases of impairment of appetite and 
digestion ; acis as a healilUul stimulant in chronic af- 
fections of the bladder, gonorrhea, leucorrhea, gleet, 
and scorbutic diseases. Favorably spoken of by Van 
Swjcien 111 ascites and anasarca. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 'o 2 drams. 

Juniperns Sabfna (Savin) — It is highly stimu- 
lant, increasing most of the secretions, especially those 
of the skin and uterus, to the latter of which organs it 
seems to iiave a peculiar direction; though in cases of 
pregnancy it must be used with caution. Useful in 
complaints of the kidneys, suppression of urine and 
suppressed menstruation. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 10 to 30 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 1 to 5 grains. 

Pills — 1 grain. 

Kramerla Triaudra {Rhatany).—li is a pow- 
erful asinngent, with tonic properties. Used inter- 
nally with advantage in menorrhagia, hematemesis, 
passive hemorrhages, chronic diarrhea, leucorrhea, 
chronic mucous discharges, and incontinence of urine; 
also as a local application in prolapsus aui, fissure of 
the anus, and leucorrhea. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: ^ to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 5 to 20 grains. 

Pills — 1 grains 

Lactuca Sativa (Lettuce). — Is usually given lo 
quiet nervous irritability and allay cough. It may be 
given, when opium is indicated but cannot be given 
from idiosyncrasy of the patient. It docs not produce 
that disturbance of the functions which usually follows 
opium. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: i to 2 drams 

Solid Extract — Dose: 2 to 5 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Lappa Minor (Burdock). — Useful in scorbutic, 
syphilitic, scrofulous, gouty, leprous and nephritic dis- 
eases. To prove etfectual, its use must be persevered 
in for a long time. As an ointment, it has been em- 
ployed with advantage in cutaneous diseases and ob- 
stin.ite ulcers. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: fl to 20 grains. 

PtHs — 2 grains. 

Lauras Sassafras (Sassafras). — Stimulant, 
and perhaps diaphoretic. It is used mainly a.s an adjii- 
vaa; to other medicines, the flavor of which it im- 
proves. It hits been particularly recommended in 
chronic rheumatism, cutaneous eruplioiis, scorbutic 
and sypluloid alTections. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Lieontice TlialictrouJes (Blue Cohosh).— 
Possessed of diuretic, di.i|':nii-._ . and anthelmintic 
properties; is a valuable i..:ciit . . idl chronic uterine 
diseases ; appears lo exert ii.'i i • iccrd influence upon 
the uterus; has been successiu..;. erujiloyed in rheuma- 
tism, dropsy, colic, liiccough, i.,.nep.*y. uterine leucor- 
rhea. amenorrhea. &c. In decoction, blue cohosh is 
prelerablo to ergot in expediting delivery, in all those 
cases where tiie delay is owing to debility, or want of 
uterine nervous energy, or is ihe result of fatigue. 

Fluid Extract — DoVe: 15 to 4U drojis. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 1 to 5 grains. 

Caulophyllin — Dose: i to 4 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Leonuras Cardlaca (Motherwort) —Recom- 
mended in nervous complaints, in irritable habits, de- 
liritim tremens, in all chronic diseases attended with 
restlessness, wuketulness, disturbed sleep, spinal irrita- 
tion, neuralgic pains, and in liver aflfections. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Leptandra Vlrstnica (Culver's Root). — 
Tonic, cholagogue and laxative; is employed in he- 
patic affections, as it acts upon the liver with energy 
and without active catharsis; in bilious atid typhoid 
fevers as a laxative and tonic, and in dyspepsia, diar- 
rhea and dysentery. 

Fluid Extratt — Dose: J to 1 aram. 



Solid Extract — Dose: 1 to 10 grains. 
Leptandrin — Dose: J to 1, and 1 to 2 grains. 
Leptandrin, Pills of—1 grain. 

liiatris Spicata (Button Snakeroot). — Diuretic, 
tonic, stimulant and emmeimgi.gui;. The infusion is 
efficacious in gleet, gonorrhea, and nepiliritic diseases; 
also in scrofula, dysrnenorrhi-.i.. umenorrlioa. aiier- 
pains, &c. Of advantage also us a guigie in sore 
throat. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drums. 

Liatrin — Dose: 4 lo 6 grain.s 

IiigUSticum Livisticuni (Lavage). — -Aro- 
matic, stimulant; and has been einpioyed as a cannina 
live and diaphoretic. This drug has proved available 
J in removing visceral obstructions, dispelling tiatuleiicy, 
'in the treatment of jaundice and gravel, li is very 
often added to purgative prepuraliuiis, on accouiil of 
its aromatic carminative properiie?. 
Fluid Extract— Dosk: i to 1 drain. 

Llrlodendron TuHpifera (»7ii/« Wood).— 
Aromatic, siiniuiaiit and ionic. Tins drug is recom- 
mended in inlcnnitlcnts, chronic rlieumausKi, clinmic, 
gastric and intestinal diseases, hectic fcver, night 
sweats, and colliquative diarrhea of jihlhisis. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: ^ lo 1 dram 

ItObelia Inflata (Z.o6(7«i).— Lobelia is cmelic 
and cathartic; and in small doses, diapliort-nc ami ex 
pectoranf. It is of especial advaiiiuge in sjusniodic 
asthma, and is used in calarrli, crouj), pertussis, and 
other laryngeal and pccloral afl^ectiniLS. In cases where 
relaxation is required, either to subdue spasm or oiher- 
wise, lobelia will be (bund to be a valuable article. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: Expectoiaiii, 1(1 to Oi: drops; 
Emetic, ^ to I dram. 

LoOelin — Dose: | lo IJ grains. 

Lobelia Compound — Composed of Lobelia. Skunk 
Cabbage and Bloodrooi. 

Fluid £.r(rac/— Dose-: III lo (iU drops; and i to 1 
dram. 

Lycopns Virglnicus (Bugle-weed).—k mild 
narcotic, sedative, sub-astringent, styptic. A valuable 
remedy for hemorrhage from the lungs, incipieni pmni- 
sis, pneumonia; useful in quieting irritation and allay- 
ing cough; it appears to act like digitalis in abating the 
frequency of the pulse, but it is (ar le.ss active. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drains. 

ITIarrubium Vulgare (Hurehound).—T>wv, 
aperient, pectoral and sudorific. Is largely emplnved 
in domestic practice in colds, asthma, catarrh and other 
chronic aiTcctions of the lungs, attended with coughs 
and copious expectoration. 

Fluid Extract — Dose; J to 1 dram. 

Soliil Exlract — Dose: 5 to 10 grams 

Pills— 2 grains. 

inentlia Piperita {Peppermint).—\l is a pow- 
erful dirthsive stimulant, antispasmodir, carminative and 
Stomachic. Used in flatulent colic, hysteria, spasms, 
or cramp in liie .stomach; to allay the griping of cathar- 
tics; to check nausea and vomiting, and to di.sguise the 
unpleasant taste of otiier medicines. 

Fluid Extrut—Doie: 1 lo 2 drams 

IttentUa Viridis (S/jear»i(H().— Like the last, 
it is carmmativ.;-, antispasmodic and stimulant. It is 
mainly used as a diuretic and febrifuge. The tincture 
has been found serviceable in gonorrhea, strangury, 
gravel, &c. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 1 to 3 drams. 

Myrica Cerifera (£ay6erry).— Astringent and 
stimulant, and m iarge doses, is apt to occasion einesis. 
Successfully employed in scrofula, jaundice, dmrrhea, 
dysentery, and other diseases where an astringent 
stimulant is indicated. Beneficial as a gargle in sore 
moulh and throat. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams 

Myricin — Dose: 2 to 1(1 graaiis. 

Myrica (jlale (Sweet Gale). — Astringent, stimu- 
lant. Dram doscs are apt to produce emesis. It pos- 
sesses properties similar to those of bayberry. 

Fluid Ext-ract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTRACTS. 



Nepeta Cataria (Ca<n/jj).— Carminative and 
diaphoretic in warm iiilusion. Used in febrile diseases, 
in flatulent colic, nervous lieadaclie, hysteria aud uer- 
vous irritability. 

Fluid Extract— Doie: 2 to 4 drams. 

Nyiupliaia Odorata l>r/i((e Lili/). — Asinu- 
gent, deniulceiil. anoilyiie, alterative and antiscrolulous. 
It is a popular reineciy in dysentery, diarrhea, leucor- 
rhea, scot'ula miuI. i-oiu'iijned with wild cherry, in bron- 
chial affecii'Mi- 

Fluid Exiiuci—D^^~.-. ■ to i (Irani. 

Opium. — The fluid extract of opium (aqueous) is 
of the same strengtii as laudanum, and is largely used 
in its stead; is anodyne ni its action, promotes sleep, 
allays spasms and convnlsioiLS, and is valuable in ner- 
vous irritability. It can be used vi^here laudanum or 
opium is generally applicable, without the unpleasant 
effects that usual'ly follow from either. The fluid 
opium is dcnarcotizedj prepared according to the U. S. 
Pharmacopaeia. 
• Fluid Ep-lrart—Du^'i: Id to OU drops. 

Papaver Soiuuiferuiu {Poiypy).— The poppy 
heads, though analogous to opium in medical proper- 
ties, are exceedingly leeble. Tiiey are often given in- 
ternally to culm irritation, to promote rest, and produce, 
generally, the narcotic etfecis of opium. 

Fluid Exttncl — Do^e; :V to 1 dram. 

Solid E.rtriict—Diyic: :)'to 10 yrains. 

Pi7^'— 2 grains, 

Pliytolacca Decantlra [Poke).—h is a slow 
emetic, purgative and somewhat narcotic. Used in 
chronic and sypiulitic rhcuinaiism, and for allaying 
syphilitic pain.^. It is said to be a sure cure lor syphi- 
lis in all its stages, wittiout the use of mercury. Acts 
as an alterative in scrofula ami .scroiulous diseases. 

Fluid Exlrnct—Doie: 10 to 30 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 1 to 4 grains. 

Phylol'iccin — Dose: J to 1 grain. 

Phytolaccin. Pills of^ grain. 

Plnus Canadcii8i!!i (ifi^mioci').— The extract 
prepared from tlie b.uk is a valuable remedy in the 
treatment oi'clironic diarrhea, in the last stages ol dys- 
entery, and cholera intantuin. The astringent proper- 
ties of hemlock seem to indicate its employment in 
hemorrhoids, meiinrrhagia. &c. 

Fluid Extinct — Dose: ^ to 1 drum. 

Piper Aiisustifolium ull'^aVo).— Principally 
styptic, also stiiiuilam. Of advantage lu epistaxis, leu- 
corrhea. meiiorrhagla. chronic diarrhea, and disea.ses 
of the mucous inembraiies. As a local .styptic it acts 
in the s;iine maaiier a.s agaric. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: ^ to "2 drams. 

Pil>er Cubeba (Cinebs). — Cubebs are gently 
stimulant, wiili particular direction to the urinary or- 
gans; has the power of arresting excessive discharges 
from the urethra; used principally in the treatment of 
gonorrhea and gleet; aUo ussil beneficially in leucor- 
rhea, abscess of the pmsirate glandy. piles, and chronic 
bronchial intiaiiiiiiaiion. tec. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: ^ to 1^ dratn-^. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 2 to 20 grains. 

Pills — 2 grams. 

Piper Nigriini {Black Pepper).— T\\c black 
pepper is a warm carminative stimulant, having the 
property of producing general arterial excitement. Its 
chief medicinal application is to excite the languid 
stomach and correct flatulency. 

Ftuid Extract— 10 lo 40 drops. 

Podopliylllim Peltatuni {Mandrake).— It 
4s a certain cathartic ; in large doses an emetic, altera- 
tive, anthelmintic, hydragogue and sialogogue. It 
rouses the liver lo vigorous aciion, determinesthe blood 
to the surface, stimulates the kidneys, promotes expec- 
toration, augments the glandular functions, and cleanses 
the intestinal canal of all irritating substances. In 
small caises, it acts as a powerful alterative. Useftil iu 
scrofulous and syphilitic diseases, hepatic affcctious, 
dysmenorrhea, rheumatism, gonorrhea; also adminis- 
tered beneficially in jaundice, dropsies, dysentery, diar- 
rhea, bilious, remittent and intermittent fevers, puerpe- 



ral fever, typhoid fever, and all glandular enlarge- 
ments. Its range of application is perhaps more exr 
tensive than any other cathartic medicine, and is indi* 
cated in all cases where the use of mercury is indi- 
cated. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: .3 to 12 grains. 

Podophyllin — Dose: ^ to J, and 1 to 3 grains. 

Pills of Podophyllum, Ext. — 1 grain. 

PiUs of Podophyllin — J and 1 grain. 

Pills of Podophyllin and Blue Pill — 3 grains. 

JMandkake Compound — Composed of Mandrake, 
Senna and Jalap. 
Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 lo 2 drams. 

Polygonum Puuctatam (Water Pepper), 
— Stimulant, diuretic, emmenagogue, antiseptic and 
vesicant. Used in colds, coughs, gravel, uterine dis- 
eases, &c. 

Fluid Extract— Bose: 10 to 60 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 2 to 3 graijis. 

Polygala Senega (Seneka). — Seneka is a 
stimulating diuretic and expectorant, and in large 
doses, emetic and cathartic. It excites more or less 
all the secretions. It is peculiarly useful in chronic 
catarrhal affections, the secondary stages of cronp, 
and in peripneumonia. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 20 to 40 drops. 

Populus Trennuloides [American Poplar). — 
Tonic and febrifuge; has been used in intermittent 
fever with advantage. The fluid extract is reputed a 
valuable remedy in debility, want of appetite, feeble 
digestion, chronic diarrhea and worms. It is said to 
possess active diuretic properties. 

Fluid Extract — DWSe: j to 1 dram. 

Populin—A to 9 grains. 

Prinos Verticillatus {Black Aldei). — The 
black alder has been used with good effect in jaun- 
dice, diarrhea, intermittent fever and other diseases 
connected with a debilitated stale of the system, es- 
pecially gangrene and mortification. It is a popular 
remedy in oraugreiious or flabby and ill-conditioned 
ulcers, aud in chronic cutaneous eruptions. In which 
it is given iuternaUy, and applied locally in the form 
of a wash or poultice. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Prnnns Virginlaua ( Wild Cherry).— Tonic 

and stimulant in its operation on the digestive organs, 
at the same time exercising a sedative influence on 
the circulatory and iiervou? systems. It is useful in 
the convalescent stages of inflammatory attacks, and 
in many pulmonary diseases, imparting tonicity with- 
out exciting unduly the heart and blood vessels. It 
is of general use in phthisis, scrofula and dyspepsia. 

Flutd Extract — Dose: 2 to 4 drams. 

Prunin — Dose: 2 to 6 grains. 

Wild Cherry Compound — Composed of Wild 
Cherry. Horehound. Lettuce. Veratrum and Bloodroot. 
Fluid Extract — Dose: ^ to 2 drams. 

Ptelea Trifoliata {Ptelen).— "Pare, unirritat- 
iug tonic. It is recommended in asthma, and pulmo- 
nary affections, intermittents and remittents, and iu 
all cases where tonics are indicated. It has proved 
eminently worthy in gastro-eiueric irritation, and is 
stated to be tolerated by the stomach when other 
remedies are rejected. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 15 to 60 drops. 

Pulmouaria Officinali8 [Lungwort.)— De- 
mulcent and mucilaginous. Beneficially administered 
ill cases of hemorrhage from the lungs, bronchial 
and catarrhal affections, and in pulmonary affections 
generally. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dratn. 

Pyretlirum Partbenlum [Feverfew). — 
Tonic and carminative, with emmenagogue, %'ermi- 
fuge and stimulant properties. This is ah excellent 
agent iu colds, flatulency, worms, hysteria, and in 
somo types of febrile diseases and irregular men- 
struation. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: | to 1 dram. 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTRACTS. 



i^aercns Alba (White Ooi).— Tonic, astringent 
and alterative. As an astringent, it is very valuable! 
given in intermittent fevers, obstinate and chronic 
diarrhea, used as a gargle, and in baths for children. 
Applied externally as an ointment to ill-conditioned 
ulcers, piles, &c. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract— Dose: 10 lo 20 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Rliainnus Catharticus (Buckthorn). — A 
powerful hydragogue and purgative. Seldom used 
alone. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to IJ dram. 

Rhonm Palmatnm (Rhubarb).— Used as a 
purgative in mild cases of diarrhea and cholera in- 
fantum; as a stomachic and tonic in dyspepsia ac- 
companied with debilitated condition of the digestive 
organs; as a purgative for infants, it is valuable, and 
is well adapted to a variety of children's complaints. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

SoUd Extract— Dose: 2 to 10 grains. 

Pills Rhei, Ext. — 1 grain. 

Pills Rhei. U. S P.— 4 grains. 

Pills Rhei Comp. U. S. P. — IJ grains 

Pills Rhei and Blue Pill — i grains. 

Pills Rhei and Iron — 3 grains. 

Rhubarb and Senna — By a union of these drugs m 
the concentrated form of a fluid extract, and in <Jue 
proportion, ajcaihartic is obtained which is safe, un- 
attended by unpleasant symptoms, and not followed 
by constipation. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Rhubarb Aromatic — 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 drum. 

Rlins Glabrnm (Si<mac/i).— Tonic, astringent, 
antiseptic and diuretic, Valuable in gonorrhea, leu- 
corrhea, diarrhea, dysentery, hectic (ever and scrofula. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Rhusin — Dose: 1 to 2 grains. 

RnbUS VlllOSUS (Blackherry). Tonic and 

strongly astringent. An excellent remedy in diarrhea, 
dysentery, cholera mlantum, relaxed conditions of 
the intestines of children, passive hemorrhage from 
the stomach, bowels, and uterus, and in colliquative 
diarrhea. 

Fluid Eitract—Hast: i to 1 dram 

Solid Extract — Dose: 4 to 6 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Rumex Crispne (Yellow Dock). — Alterative, 
tonic, mildly astringent and detergent. Useful in 
scorbutic and syphilitic affeetions, leprosy, elephanti- 
asis, &c. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams 

Solid Extract — Dose: 4 to 8 grains. 

Rumin — Dose: 4 to 8 grains 

Pills— 2 grains. 

Ruta Graveolens (Rue). — Its action is chiefly 
directed to the uterus; in moderate doses proving 
eramenagogue, and in large doses, producing a de- 
gree of irritation in thai organ which sometimes de- 
termines abortion. It Ikis been successfully used in 
^atulent colic, hysteria, epilepsy, and is an efficient 
vermifuge. 

Fluid Extract— Dose ; 20 to 40 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 2 lo 4 grains. 

Pills — 2 grains. 

Sabbatia Augularls {Centaury, Red). — An 
excellent tonic. One advantage claimed for this drug 
over many others is that it does not constipate. It is 
employed as a tonic in full periodic febrile diseases, 
both as a preventive and as a remedy, and as a bit- 
ter tonic in dyspepsia and convalescence from fevers, 
to invigorate the stomach and alimentary canal. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 2 drams. 

Salix Alba (Willow). — Tonic and astringent, 
and has been employed as a substitute for quinia in 
intermittent fever. It i« antispasmodic and febri- 
fuge, and is less likely to offend the stomach and af- 
fect the nervons system than qninia. 

Salicin — Dose: 2 to 10 grains. 



Sambucns Canadensis (Elder Flowers).— 
The fluid extract made into a warm infusion is dia- 
phoretic and gently stimulant, while the cold infusion 
IS diuretic, cooling and alterative. Employed in he- 
patic derangements of children, erysipelatous and 
exanthematous affections. It is a superior laxative 
and refrigerant. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Sangulnaria Canadensis (Bloodroot). — 
Valuable as an emetic, narcotic and stimulant. In 
small doses, it stimulates the digestive organs and 
accelerates the circulation, while in large doses, it 
produces nausea and consequent depression of the 
pulse. Used in tj'phoid pneumonia, catarrh, pertussis, 
scarlatina, rheumatism, jaundice, dyspepsia, &c. 
Considered a specific in the early stages of croup. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 5 to 15 and 4tJ to CO drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: i to 1^ and 2} to 5 grains. 

Sanguinarin (Retinoid) — Dose: ^ to 1 and IJ to 2 
grains. 

Sanguinarina (Alkaloid)— Dose: l-30th to 1-lOth 
grains. 

Pills — i and 1 grain. 

Scilla iVIarltlma (Sgwifl).— Squill is expecto- 
rant, diuretic, and in large doses, emetic and purga- 
tive. As an expectorant, it is used both in cases of 
deficient and superabundant secretion from the bron- 
chial mucous membrane. It is used in dropsy to in- 
crease the secretory action of the kidneys. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: Kxpectorant and Diuretic, 2 
to G drops; Emetic, 12 to 24 drops. 

Squill Compouud — Composed of SquiU&nd Seneka. 
Fluid Extract — Dose: 10 to 20 drops. 
Pills of Squill Comp. U. S. P.— 3 grains. 

Scutellaria Liaterlflora. (Scullcap). — Scull- 
cap* is a valuable nervine. Those who have long 
used it, ilaim for it tonic properties, which give 
strength as well as quiet to the system, and that it 
does not, like other nervines, leave the system in an 
excited and irritable condition. Used in tic-dolou- 
reux, St. Vitus' dance, convulsions, tetanus its well 
as in ordinary di.*eases of the nerves. 

Fluid Exiraet — Dose: i lo 1 dram 

Seutellann — Dose: 2 to 6 grains. 

Scullcap Co.mpoud — Composed of Scuilcap, Ladies' 
Slipper, Hop and Lettuce. 
Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Senecio Aureus (Li/e Root).— Diuretic, pecto- 
ral, diaphoretic and ionic. An excellent remedy in 
gravel and other urinary affections; is said to be a 
specific in strangury; very efficacious in promoting 
menstrual discharges, and a valuable agent m the 
treatment of I'emale diseases. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Senecin — Dose: 3 to 5 grains. 

Slmarnba Excelsa (Q>uissia).—h possesses 
in the highest degree all the properties of simple bit- 
ters. It is purely tonic, invigorating the digestive 
organs, with little excitement of the circulation, or 
increase of animal heat. Particularly adapted to 
dyspepsia and to that debilitated state of the diges- 
tive organs which sometimes succeeds acute disease 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i lo 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to 5 grains. 

Pillj-l grain. 

Smllax Officinalis (SarsapariUa).— Possesses 
a high reputation as an alterative in the treatment of 
chronic rheumatism, scrofulous affections, cutaneous 
affections, sypliiloid diseases, and that depraved con- 
dition of the general health to which it is difficult to 
apply a name. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 5 to 20 grains, 

Pilis—3 grains. 

Sarsaparilla Compound — Compounded of Sarsa- 
pariUa, Princess Pine,' Liquorice, Mexereon, Sassafras, 
Yellow Dock and Bittersweet. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 dram. 

SoUd Extract — Dose: 5 to 20 grains. 



FLUID AND SOLID EXTRACTS. 



Sarsaparilla. and Dandelion — 
Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 dram. 

Solannm Dulcamara (BUtersweet). — The 
fluid extract and syrup are widely used in cutaiieoui 
diseases, scrofula, jaundice, 8)^)11111110, rheumatic and 
cachectic affections, leucorrhea and obstructed men- 
struation. Possesses feeble narcotic powers and in- 
creases tho secretions of the kidneys and the skin. 
It is especially beneficial in the treatment of cutaie- 
ous eruptions of a scaly character. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to 8 grains. 

Pills — 2 grain.s 

SoIIdago Odora {Golden Rod). — Aromatic, 
moderately stimulant and oarminatire. Useful t'> 
relieve pain arisi'lg from flatulency, to allay nausea, 
and to mask tlie taste of unpalatable medicines. 
Recommended in the convalescent stages of severe 
dysentery, diarrhea and cholera morbus. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Spf sella marllandlca {Pink Root).— Power- 
ful antnelmmtic. Over-doses excite the circulation, 
and determine blood to the brain, giving rise to ver- 
tigo, dimness of vision, &c 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to IJ drams 

Pink Root Compound — Composed of Pink Root, 
Senna, Savin and Manna. 
Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 2 drams. 

Pink Root and Senna — 

Fluid Extract— noac: i to 1 dram. 

Spiraea Tomentosa {Hardhack). — Tonic, as- 
tringent. As an aslringeni, it is adminislereU in di- 
arrhea, cholera infantum, and other ci>mplai:ils where 
astringenis are usually indicated, and is said to be 
less liable to disagree with the stomach lUan other 
astringents. 

Fluid Extract— Doie.: 4 to 20 drops. 

Statlce Carollnlana {l\Inr$h Rosemary). 

Powerful astringent, wilii emetic and sudorific proper- 
ties. It will be found efficacious in diarrhea and 
dysentery, particularly in the latter stages; in cy- 
nanche maligna, both as an internal and external ap- 
plication, and may be used for all llie purposes for 
which kiiio and catechu are given. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 15 to 40 drops. 

Stllllugla SylvatlcalQi/een's iJoor)-— Siillii;- 
gia has reputation ns an alterative, and as such is 
used in syphilitic affections, ordinarily requiring the 
use of mercury; is emetic and cathartic in large 
doses. It has been used with efficacy in secondary 
syphilis, scrofula, cutaneous diseases, chronic hepatic 
affections, and other complaints generally benefited 
by alteratives. 

Fluid Exiract—nose: 20 to 40 drops. 

Stilliiigin — Dose: 2 to 5 grams. 

Pills of Stillingin — 1 grain. 

Stillingia Compound — Compounded of Stillingia, 
Turkey Corn, Blue Flag, Prince's Pine, Prickly Ash, 
Yellow Dock. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: i to 1 dram 

Stryc'linos Isiiatia {Ignatia Bean].—l\. is ap- 
plicable m the wide range of symptoms known as 
dyspeptic. It has a tonic, stimulating effect on all 
the organs connecied with the digestive functions, 
by its acting directly on their nervous energies, ex- 
citing and equalizing their weakened and disturbed 
action. It possesses a large amount of strychnia, the 
active principle of the Nux Vomica. 

Flitul Extract — Dose: 5 to 10 drops. 

Solid Extract— Dose: i io IJ grains. 

Pilli — i grain. 

Strychnos Nux Vomica {Nux Vomica).— 
Nux Vomica is a violent excitant of the cerebro- 
spinal system, and in large doses, is an active poison. 
In small doses, frequenliy repeated, it is tonic, diu- 
retic, and even laxative. It is employed principally 
in the treatment of paralysis. It is said to be more 
beneficial in general palsy and paraplegia, than in 
hemiplegia, and has also been found of benefit iu 



local palsies, as of the bladder; likewise in amauro- 
sis, spermatorrhea and impotence. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 5 to 10 drops. 

Solid Extract — Dose: i to 2 grains. 

Pills of Strychnine— l-i8, 1-32 and 1-lG grain. 

Sympbytam Officinale {Com/rey). — The 
iherapeuiic effects of Comfrey are due to its mu- 
cilaginous properties, which act upon the mucous 
membrane. It is demulcent, and somewhat astrin- 
gent. Useful in diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, hemop- 
tysis, other pulmonary affections, leucorrhea, and in 
female debility. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 2 to 4 dram*. 

Symplocarpus Foetldns {Skunk Cabbage) — 
Stimulant, antispasmodic, expectorant and slightly 
narcotic. Useful in asthma, whooping cough, ner- 
vous irritability, hysteria, epilepsy, chronic catarrh, 
pulmonary and bronchial aflections. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: 20 to 60 drops. 

Tanacetnm Vulgare {Double Tansey). 

Aromatic, tonic, and anthelmintic. The warm infu- 
sion, prepared from the fluid extract, is a very good 
emmeuagogue and diaphoretic. Tansey will be 
found useful, in small doses, in hysteria and dyspep- 
sia Complicated with flatulency, and in convalescence 
from exliausting diseases. It is regarded especially 
serviceable to expel worms. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to 1 dram. 

Thymus Vulgaris (rAj/me).— Tonic, carmi- 
native, emmeuagogue and antispasmodic. Employed 
as a stimulating tonic in hysteria, dysmenorrhea, 
colic, cephalalgia, and in a debilitated state of the 
stomach. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Taraxacum Dens-L<eoiils {Dandelion).— 
Valuable alterative, tonie, diuretic and aperient'. It 
has a specific action on the liver, exciting it to secre- 
tion when languid. Used with good effect in dyspep- 
sia, diseases of the liver and spleen, and in the irrita- 
ble condition of the stomach and bowels. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 10 to 20 grains. 

Pills— 'i grains. 

Dandelion Compound — Composed of Dandelion, 
M'lndrake and Conium. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Taraxacum and Senna. — In tavor with many 
physicians as an antibilious purgative. Used success- 
I'ully with children, who take it readily, seldom pro- 
ducing pain or nausea, and not likely to pioduce con- 
stipation. Used largely in place of castor oil. 

Fluid Ext act — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Trifollum Prateiise {Red CZofer).— Higldy 
recommended m cancerous ulcers of every kind, and 
deep, ragged-edged, and otherwise badly conditioned 
burns. 

Solid Extract — To be used at discretion. 

Trillium Peuduluiu {Eetkioot). — Astrin- 
gent, tonic and antisepiic. It has been employed 
successfully in hematuria, leucorrhea, cough, asthma 
and difficult breathing. 

Fluid Extract— Dnse: 1 to 3 drams, 

Trilliin — Dose: 4 lo S grains. 

TussllagO Farfara (Coltsfoot). Emollient, 

demulcent and tunic. Employed in coughs, asthma, 
whooping cough, and pulmonary diseases, both acute 
and chronic. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: ^ lo 1 dram. 

Valeriana Officinalis {Valerian).— Yaleiinn 
is tonic and antispasmodic. It is useful in cases of 
irregular nervous action; in the morbid vigilance of 
fevers; in hypochondriasis, epilepsy, and occasionally 
iu intermittent and remittent fevers. 

Fluid Extract— Dose: i to IJ drams. 

Solid Extract — Dose: 3 to 10 grains. 

Pills — 2 crams. 



SUGAR-COATED PILLS AND GRANULES. 



Veratrum Vlride (Arnerican Hellebore).— h is 
slighlly acrid, an excellent expectorant, a certain dia- 
phoretic nervine, and never narcotic, emetic, and arte- 
rial sedative, wlucti last is its most valuable and inter- 
esting property, and lor which it stands unparalleled 
and unequaled as a therapeutic agent. 

Fluid Extract— For full directions, see Book of 

FORMCLJE. 

Solid Extract— Dos&: i to 1 grain, 
reraln'n— Dose: l-16ih to i gram. 
Pillt—i and i grain. 

Verbena (Vervain).— Tome, emetic, expectorant 
and sudorific. The extract is pronounced valuable in 
intermittent fever, obstructed menstruation, in scrofula, 
and visceral obstructions. As an expectorant and pal- 
liative it IS employed in catarrhal and bronchial attec- 
lions. , , J 

Fluid Extract— Dose: i to 1 dram. 

Vlburnam Opnlns {Cramp £arfc).— Very ef- 



fective in relaxing cramps and spasms of all kinds, as 
asthma, hysteria, cramps of the hmbs or other parts in 
females, especially during pregnancy, or at the time 
of parturition, preventing ihe attacks entirely, if used 
daily for the la-st two or three months of gestation. 
Fluid Extract — Dose: 1 to 2 drams. 

Xantlioxylum Fraxtneum (Prickly Ash). 
— Used in languid conditions of the system; in rlieu- 
matism, chronic syphilis and hepatic derangements. 
The Xanlhoxylin jnay be used in all cases when it is 
desired to stimulate and strengthen mucous tissues. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: 15 to 45 drops. 

Xanthoxylin—Vom: 2 to 6 grains. 

Fills— I grain. 

Zingiber Officinale (Gmfer).— Ginger is a 
grateful stimulant and carminative, often given in dys- 
pepsia, flatulency, and imperfect digestion, as well as 
in colic, nausea, gout, spasms, cholera morbus, he. 

Fluid Extract — Dose: J to li drams. 



SUQAR-COATED PILLS Al^D GRANULES 

OF THE 

UNITED STATES PHARMACOPCEIA, 



AND OTHER RELIABLE FORMUL-E. 



Aconitine (1-60 giaiu).— The active principle 
of Aconite. Dose—1 pill. 

Aconite (h i ">i<i 1 grain).-h is used as an 
anodyne and sedative in all affections in which there 
is increase v{ nervous, vascular or muscular action. 
Dose — (I gram) 1 to 4. 

AloetlC (U. S. P., 4 grains).— Aloes, 2 grains, 
Soap, 2 gram-. Laxative in habitual costiveness 
Dose— I to 3. 

lloes and Assafoetida (U. S. P , 4 grains). 
— Uoes, Ass'ifxlida and Soap, equal parts. Applica- 
ble to costiveness attended wiUi flatulence and de- 
bility of the digestive organs. Dose— '2 to o. 

Aloes and Iron (U. S. P . 4 grains).-Aloes 
Soct.. and Cunium. Ex., each one-half part ; Iron, kut- 
phate and Ginger. Jamaica, each, one part. Employed 
in constipation with debility of the stomach, especially 
when allenJed with amenorrhea. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Aloes and Mastlch (3 grams).— Laxative. 
See Ludy Webster's 

Aloes and Myrrli (U. S. P., 4 grains)— Aloes' 
Soct., two parts; Myrrh and Saffron, one part each. 
A warm, stimulant cathartic. Dose— 5 to 5. 

Aloes and Ext. Gentian (U. S. P., 4 

grauii).— See Gentian Compound. 

Ammonium Bromide (1 graui).— Nervine 
and alterative. Peculiarly applicable to functional 
nervous diseases, more especially those of the gan- 
glionic system. Doss— 2 to 5. 

Anderson's Socts. (2 grains)— Aloes, Soct., 
Soap, Colocynth and Oil Annis. Antibilious and 
pnrgative. An excellent pill for promoting the 
biliary secretions, and uniting an alterative with its 
purgative action. Dose — I to 3. 

Antltemis (2 grains)— \ mild tonic, alterative 



and emetic. In small doses acceptable and corrobo- 
rant to the stomach. Dose — 1 to ti. 

Antibilious (2f grains). — Ext. Colocynth, 2i 
grains; Fodnphyllin, i grain Drastic, hydragogue 
cathartic. Recommended in dropsical affections, he- 
patic derangemeiitt, in cases where a brisk catharsis 
is indicated. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Antimonii Comp. (U. S. P., 3 fi-rams)— Al- 
terative. See Calomel Compound. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Apocynuni (2 grains). — Alterative, tonic and 
laxative. Valuable in the treatment of chronic he- 
patic affections, dyspepsia, amenorrhea, scrofula, &c. 
Dose — 1 to 4. 

Aperient (2 5-6 grains) — Ext. Nux Vomica, i 
grain; Ext. Hyoscyamus. i grain; Ext. Colocynth. 
Comp. 2 grains. Promotes excretions. Employed 
in confirmed torpor of the bowels. Ext. Hyoscya- 
mu> prevents tormina without impairing the energy 
of tile ot'ier ingredients. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Arsenlous Acid (1-32 grai;i).—AIterative and 
febrifuge. Tlie principal diseases, in which it has 
been exhibited, are scirrliu< and cancer of the lip, 
anomalous ulcers, iiuermilient fevers, chronic rheu- 
matism, particularly that form of it attended witli 
pains III the bones, hemicraiiia and periodical head- 
ache. Dose — 1 to 3 

Assafoetida (U. S P., 4 grai/is). —Powerful anti- 
spasmodic, moderute stimulant, efficient expectorant, 
and teeble laxative. DJse— 2 to 4. 

Assafoetida and Iron (U S. P , 3 grain.'!).— 
Assafoetida, 2 grains ; Sulphate Iron, 1 grain. Has 
especial retereiice to spasmodic affections, dependent 
on general debility of the system, an i diseases at- 
tended with immoderate discharges. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Asafoetida and Rhei (3 grs.).—AssajcBiida, 
Rhei. Iron, by Hydrogen, each equal parts. Tonic, lax- 
ative and antispasmodic combination. Dose — 2 to 5. 



SUGAR-COATED PILLS AND GRANULES. 



Atropla (1-60 grains).— This alkaloid possesses 
ihe properties of Atropa Belladonna in a coiicenlraled 
form. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Belladonna (J, i and 1 gram).— Powerful nar- 
cotic ; possessing diapliorelic and diuretic properties, 
and somewhat disposed to act upon the bowels. Dose 
— (^ grain) 1 to 4. 

Bisniutli Sub-Nitrate (2 grains). — Absorb- 
ent, antispasmodic and slightly sedative and astring- 
ent. Has a very soothing influence upon irritated 
raucous surfaces. Principally employed in painful 
affections of the stomach, such as cardialgia, pyrosis, 
and gastrodynia ; in spasmodic diseaces ; and m dys- 
entery and diarrhea. Hose — 2 to 4. 

SSismutli, Sub-Carbonate (3 grains). — 
Readily tolerated by the stomach, soluble m the gas- 
tric juice, possesses the power to neutralize excess 
of acid in the stomach without any tendency to con- 
stipate. Recommended in the treatment of gastral- 
gia following the phlegmasias of tho digestive organs. 
Dose— 2 to 4. 

Blue Pill (U. S. P , 2i and 5 grams).- Altera- 
tive, sialagogue and purgative. Less irritating than 
the other mercurials. Employed in constipation, bil- 
iary derangemejits, syphilitic diseases, and wherever 
the influence of mercury is needed. Dose — (2^ grains) 
2 to 4 ; (5 grains) 1 to 3. 

Blue Pill Compound (IJ grain).— Blue Pill, 

1 grain; Opii, J grain; Ipecic, J grain. The energy 
of Blue Pill is increased by this combination, and its 
after effects rendered less objectiojiable. Dose — 1 
to 3. 

Blue Pin and Podopliyllin (3 grains).— 
See Podophylliii and Blue Pill. 

Calomel (i, l, 2, 3 and 5 grains).- Alterative and 
purgative. It is used as a purgative in torpid states 
of the bowels, torpor of the liver, worms, dropsy, &c. 

Calomel Compound (Plummer's, U. S. P., 3 
grains). — Alterative. Weil adapted to the treatment 
of chronic rheumatism, and scaly and other eruptive 
diseases of the skin, especially when accompanied 
with a syphilitic taint. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Calomel and Opium (3 grains).— Calotnel, 2 
grains; Opium, 1 grain The degree of irritation 
which ordinarily follows the administration of pure 
Calomel is diminished, while '.ts laxative operation is 
increased by lliis combinatior.. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Calomel and Rbei (H grains).— Calomel, 4 
grain; Ext. Rhei, i grain; Ezt. Colocynth Comp.,\ 
grain; ExU Hyostyamus, 1-0 grain. A very sale 
and reliable laxative and cathartic, unattended by 
unpleasant results. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Calomel and Comp. ColocyntU Ext. 

(3} grains). — Calomel, 1 grain ; Ext. Colocynth Com- 
pound, 2J grains. Useful in obstinate constipation ; 
possessing properties similar to Colocynth Comp. aud 
Blue Pill. Dose— I to 3. 

Camphor and Opium (3 grains).— Camphor. 

2 grains ; Opium, 1 grain. Anoilyne, diaphoretic and 
antispasmodic. Camphor is said to diminish the 
chance of the idiosyncratic effects of Opium. This 
composition is serviceable in chordee, hysteria, nym- 
phomania, and in all irritation of the sexual organs. 
Dose— I to 2. 

Cannabis Indica (^ and 1 gratn). — Efficient m 
checking spasmodic cough and cramp, and removing 
languor and anxiety. Dose— (I grain) 1 to 2. 

Capsicum (1 grain), — promotes digestioa and 
stimulates the genito-urinary organs. Doie — 1 to 2. 

Cathartic Compound (U. S. P., 3 grains).— 
Ext. Colocynth Compound, Ext. Jalap. Calomel, Gam- 



boge. — Particularly adapted to the early stages of 
bilious fevers, to hepatitis, jaundice, and all those de- 
rangements of the alimentary canal, or of the gene- 
ral health, which depend on congestion of the portal 
circle. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Compound Cathartic Improved {3 grs., 
without Calomel).— £x2. Colocynth Compound, Ext. 
Jalap, Podophyllln, Leplandrin, Ext. Hyoscyamus, 
Ext. Getitian, Oil Peppermint. Possesses the purga- 
tive, alterative, aud cholagoguu properties of the U. 
S. P. Compound Catliartic, at the same time not being 
open to the popular objection of including Calomel 
in its composition ; and as a substitute for the U.S. 
P. pill, it is confidently recommended to the profes- 
sion. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Chimaphila Ext. (3 grams).— It has proved 

very efficacious in many cutaneous disease.s, scrofula, 
chronic rheumatic, nephritic, urinary aud dropsical 
affections. Dose — 3 to 6. 

Chiuoidine (2 grains). — Has the same medici- 
nal power as Qumine. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Chlnoidlue Compound (3^ grains).— Chi^i 
oidine, 2 grains; Ferri, Sulphate o( Exsic, 1 grain; 
Piperini, J grain. Useful in chlorosis, in anaemic 
conditions, insome types of amenorrhea, &c. Dosf — 1 
to 2. 

Clmlcifugiu (I grain).- Tonic, alterative, r.er- 
vine, aud antipenodic, with an especial affinity to the 
uterus. The active principle of Cimicifuga Race- 
mosa. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Cinchona, Sulphate of (lianrf 3 grains). — 
Possesses nearly the same remedial virtues as the 
Sulphate of Quiiiia. Elfioient as a tonic and anti-pe 
riodic. Dose — (IJ grain) 1 to 4. 

Cochia (3 grains). — Colocynth Compound, Aloes, 
gamboge, Scammony and Potass. Sulphate. Actively 
cathartic. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Codeia tl-16 gram).— In the hands of i\I. Barbier 
it relieved painful affections liaviiig their seat in the 
great sympathetic. Dr. Aran considers it equal to 
Morphia in its efficiency to relieve pain. Dose — 1 
to 4. 

Colchicum Ext. (^ grain). — Sedative 
Valuable ill the treatment of gout and rheumatism, 
especially when these afl'ectioiis assume a neuralgic 
character. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Colocynth Compound Ext. (3 grains). 
— Exhibited beneficially in hepatic derangements. 
Dose— 2 to C. 

Colocynth Compound Ext. and 
Blue Pill (3 grains).— Colocynth Compound, 2i 
grains; Blue Pill, ^ gtain. An excellent eholagogue 
and alterative combination. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Colocynth Compound and Ipecac (3 

grains). — Ipecac renders the action of Colocynth 
Compound less violent, and at the same time increases 
its energy. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Colocynth Compound and Hyoscya- 

mu8 (U. S. P. 3 grains). — Compound Extract of 
Colocynthis is said to be almost entirely deprived of 
its griping tendency by combining it with Hyoscyamus. 
Dose— I to 6. 

Colocynth Compound and Podophyl- 
lin. — [3 grams] Colocynth Compound 2^ grains, Podo- 
phyllin i grain.) — Antibilions cathartic. A potent 
substitute for Calomel when some idiosyncrasy of 
constitution or prejudice interdicts the use of the latter 
agent. If the stomach is acid, alkalies should pre- 
viously be given. Dose — 1 to 2. 

ColoGvnth Compound and Calomel (3 

grains). — Posses^ies properties analogous to the for- 
mer pill. Dose — 2 to 3. 



SUGAR-COATED PILLS AND GRANULES. 



€onlani Ext. {}, i and 1 grain). — Altera- 
tive and anodyne. Is administered in a variety of 
complaints. By some ihousrlit to possess a curative 
influence over malignant tumors. Dose — (i grain) 3 
to 6. 

ConinHi and Ipecac (U. S. P., i grain).— 
Coniam is regarded more serviceat>le wheu united 
with Ipecao. Dost — 3 to 5. 

Cook's Pill (3 grains).— Aloes. 1 gra*'"; Calomel, 
J grain ; Kliei, 1 grain ; Snap, j grain. Laxattve aiid 
alterative. A very popular pill o"* the plantations 
through the South. Dose — 1 lo 3. 

Copaiba, Pare Solidified (4 grains).— h\ 
small doses it imi)roves the digestion, and in large 
doses it occasions nausea and alvine dejections It 
has an especial action on the mucous membranes, 
and particularly on the genito-urinal merabranes. 
Dose — 2 to 5. 

Copaiba Couipoiiud. — Pil Copaib.. Resin 
Guaiac, Ferri Citrate, Oleo-resin: Cubeb — Unites a 
gentle but etficiejit cha'.ybe.ite wilh powerful diu- 
retics. Employed ir. gleet, gonorrhea, and that class 
of diseases. Dose— 1 to 3. 

Copaiba and Cubebs Ext. (3 grains).— 
Pil. Copaiba. 2 grains; Oleo-resin: Cubeb, 1 grain. 
Produces effects similar with Copaiba pure, and given 
in the same type of disorders. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Copaiba, Slvt. Cubebs, aud Citrate of 
Irou (3 grains). — This pill has properties analogous 
to Copaiba Compound. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Coriiiu (2 grains). — It may be used in all cases 
where Quinine is indicated, and is frequently pre- 
ferred to tlie Alkaloidal Salt See Coriins Florida. 
Dose — 1 to 5. 

Cornns Florida Ext. (2 grains). — Tome, 
astringent, and highly stimulant. These pills are 
used with advantage in typhoid and periodical fevers, 
in all cases where tonics are advised. Dose — 2 loo. 

Corrosive Sublimate (1-8 and 1-16 gram). — 
Alterative. Its remedial employment has a wide 
range of application Efficient insiruinent to combat 
syhililic maladies, nervous disorders, diseases of the 
bones, &c. Dose — (l-l*) grain) 1 to 2. 

Ciibebs Elxt. (2 grains). — Exercises a decided 
influence over the urinary apparatus. It has. been 
successfullyadministered in chronic bronchitis, laryn- 
gitis and dyspepsia. Dose — 1 to 6. 

Cubebs and Alum (3g?am.«).— Alum is stated 
g-rcatly to increase the efficacy of Cubebs. (AVar- 
iitg.) £>ose— 2 to 4. 

Cubebs Ext. Rbatany and TtVAh (3 grs). 
— Exl. Cubebs, IJ grains; Ext. Rhataiiiy, J grain; Don 
Sulphate, 1 grain. Astringpnt, stimulant and tonic. 
This combination appears to be mdicaled in mucous 
discharges, incontinence ftf.tjri^p,,phtpjvki- (iwcrliea, 
and other fluxes. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Cypripedium Ext. (2 grai/ii).-^Useiul in hys- 
teria, chorea, nervous headache, and all cases of ner- 
vous irritability. Doser^'iXQft, \. ^<ii; ,,-■ 

Digitalin (l-GO gmin).— 'Digitalin produces ef- 
fects on the system analogous to Digitalis. The 
potency of this concentrated priMciple'jiccesaitates 
care and prudence in the administration. Its seda- 
tive influence is directed particularly to the genera- 
tive organs. Dose — 1 to 2, 

Digitalis Ext. (i gram) .-"Sedative and diu- 
retic. The former adapts it to cases in which the 
action of the heart requires to be controlled, the lat- 
ter renders it invaluable in dropsical affections. 
Dose—X to 3. 



Dinner Pill (Lady Webster's, 3 gr*i'nt). — Aloes, 
Socl., Gum Mastich, Rose Leaves. A favorite piU in 
indigestion, dyspepsia and constipation. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Elaterinm, Clutterbuck's (J gratrt).— Ela- 
terium is a drastic purgative. .Applicable in cases 
lequiring very copious evacuations, as in the ireai- 
raent of passive dropsies, especially in ascites and 
hydrolhorax, as a revulsive in cerebral affections, A:c. 

Gamboge Compound (U. S. P , 3 grains). — 

Gamboge, Alces, Soct., Ginger, Jamnica, Svup. An ac- 
tive, but mild and reliable calharlic. Duse — 3 to 5. 

Gentian Ext. (2 grains).- Promoles the appe- 
tite, invigorates digesiion, and acts as a general cor- 
roborant. Dose — 2 to 0. 

Gentian Compound (U. S. P., 4 grains).— 
Ext. Gentian, Rliei, Pow^d, Oil Car. — A laxative lo 
the constipation of sedenlary and dy.^peptic persons. 
Dose — 1 to 5. 

Geraniin (1 grain). — Employed for all purposes 
to which astriiigeut pilulur medicines are applicable. 
Dose—\ to ."5. 

Hellebore, Black, Ext. (1 grain)— AU 
terative and emmenagogue. Largo doses are drastic 
cathartic. Dr. Mead considered it superior to all 
otlier emmenagogue medicines. Dose — 1 to 5. 

Hooper's Female Pills (2^ grains).— Alues, 
Soct., Iron Sulphate. Extract Black HtlUbore, Myrrh, 

Suap, Canella, and Ginger, Jamaica Exiensively 

used for iheir eiiimenagoj;ue properties. Duse — lto3. 

Hydrastin, Kesinoid (1 grain) —The resi- 
uoid principle of Hydrastis Canadensis. Dose — 2 to 6. 

Hydrastin, Alkaloid (1 grain).— The alka- 
loid principle of Hydrastis Canadensis. Dose — 1 to 5. 

Hyoscyamus Ext. (i, i and 1 grain).— Calms 
and soothes any irritation or the system, allays pain, 
and relieves spasms. Dose—(k grain) 2 to 4. 

Ignatia Ext. (J and 1 grain).- Very simi- 
lar to Mux Vomica, but more energetic. Useful in 
nervous debility, amenorrhea, chlorosis and epilepsy. 
Dose—(i grain) 1 to 3. 

Iodine (i grain). — Principally employed in dis- 
eases of the absorbent and glandular system. Dose — 
1 to 4. 

Iodoform and Iron (2 grains)— Iron, by Hy- 
drogen,! grain; Iodoform 1 grain. This combination 
is serviceable to arrest the progress of phthisis, as 
an alterative in the treatment of cutaneous diseases, 
strumous enlargements of the glands, &c. Dose. — 1 
to 3. 

Ipecac Ext. (J grain) —Ipecac, in small doses, 
acts as a tonic, and is useful in some forms of dys- 
pepsia. Dose — r to 3. ♦ 

Ipecac and Opium (2 grains); Opium, J 
gram; Ipecac, \ grain; Potass. Sulphate, 1 grain. 
=5 grains Dover^s Poioders. An admirable anodyne 
diaphoretic, not surpassed perhaps by any other com- 
bination in the power of promoting perspiration. 
Dose— 2 10 6. 

Ipecac and Opium (10 grains Dover's Po'jj- 
ders). 

Ipe«?acand Squills (U. S. P., 3 graijis).— A 

mild expectorant meaicine for children wiien threat- 
ened with an attack of croup, and beneficial in ca- 
tarrh, bronchia, and that class of complaints when a 
gentle expectorant stimulant is required. Dose — 2 
to 3. 

Iridin (i and 1 grain). — The oleo-resinous prin- 
ciple of Blue Flag. Cathartic, alterative, sialagogue, 
diuretic and anthelmintic Dose — (J grain) 1 to G ; 
(1 grain) 2 to 5 



SUGAR-COATED PILLS AND GRANULES. 



Iroil and Aoles (4 grains). — See Aloes and 
Iron. 

Iron Citrate (igrains). — Highly esteemed ferru- 
giiieous preparation. Suitable for children in ordi- 
nary cases of debility. Dose — 2 to .3. 

Iron Citrate and Quinine Cit. (1 and 2 

grains). — Tonic. A coiivenieiil form for atlminister- 
ing Quinine and Iron in comi>inuiion. Dose — (1 grain) 
2 to 6. 

Iron Citrate and Strychnia Cit. (2 grs.) 

— Strychnia. 1-50 part; lion, 1 part. Clialybeate 
tonic, and nervine stimulant. Has been used suc- 
cessl'ully in atonic dyspepsia, some forms of paraly- 
sis, chorea and amenorrhea. Dose — I to 2. 

Iron Compound (U. S. P., 3 grains).— Mt/rrh, 
Soda Carbonate, Iron Sulphate. This pill is used prin- 
cipally as an eininenagogue and antihectic tonic. 
Dose— '2 to 6. 

Iron, Carbonate of (Vallet's Formula, 3 
grains) — Particularly useful in chlorosis, amenorrhea, 
and other I'emale complaints. Vallet's preparation is 
the best to produce the alterative efl'ects of Iron. 
Dose— 3 to 10. 

Iron, Carbonate of, and Manganese 

(3 grains). — Toiuc and alterative. It is asserted that 
cases of anaemia, which had resisted th; administra- 
tion of Iron alone, yielded rapidly to the combination 
of liiis melal with Manganese. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Iron Hydrocyanate (J grain).— Valuable in 
epilepsy. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Iron and Iodoform (2 grains).— See Iodo- 
form and Iron. 

Iron, Lactate (l grai«).— Possesses the general 
medical properties of the ferrugineous preparations. 
Has a marked elTecl in increasing the appetite. EtTi- 
cacious ill chlorosis, with or without ummenorrhea. 
Dose — 1 to 2. 

Iron, Phosphate ('i grains). — Advised in can- 
cerous aflections. Potent to invigorate and restore 
the virile powers. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Iron, Pyro Phosphate (1 gmin).— Blood- 
restorative, tonic and alterative. The Pyro Phos- 
phate corresponds with the preceding salt. Dose — 

2 to 5. 

Iron, Proto Iodide of (1 grain).— Tonic, al- 
terative, diuretic, and emmeiiagogue. Sharpens the 
appetite, promotes digestion, and occasionally proves 
laxative. Chiefly employed in scrofulous aflections, 
swellings of the cervical glands, visceral obstruc- 
tions attended with deficient action, chlorosis, atonic 
amenorrhea, and leucorrhea. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Iron, <luevennes, by Hydrogen (l and 2 

grains). — Employed in ancemia, chlorosis, amenor- 
riiea, chorea, and enlargement of the spleen follow- 
ing intermittent fever. Its general mode of action is 
to improve the quality of impoverished blood. Dose — 

3 to 6. 

Iron and Strychnia (2 1-60 grains).— Strych- 
nia, 1-60 grain ; Iron, by Hydrogen, 2 grains. " Bene- 
ficial in dyspepsia when there is want of appetite, 
constipation, and a sensation of weight in the epigas- 
trium after eating." Strychnia appears to overcome 
constipation by its peristaltic action on the portal cir- 
cle. Do^e — 1 to 2. 

Iron, Sulphate Exaic (4 grains).— As an as- 
tringent in diseases attended with immoderate dis- 
charges, such as passive hemorrhages, diabetes, leu- 
corrhea, gleet ; as a tonic iii dyspepsia, and in the 
debility following protracted diseases. Dose — 1 to 5. 

Iron, Valerianate (I grain). — Tonic and anti- 
spasmodic. Given in hysterical affections compli- 
cated with chlorosis. Dose — 1 to 2. 



Jalap (1 grai7i). — In small doses aperient and 
laxative, in large doses an active, but sale and con- 
venient purgative. Its hydr.ngogue powers eminently 
adapt it to the treatment of dropsies. Dose — 1 to 6. 

Jalapin (1 grain). — Piir|es violently. Is re- 
garded the basic substance of Jalap. Dose — 1 to 2. 

K.ermes(i- grain). — Recommended as an invalu- 
able medicme m childbed fevers, to promote diapho- 
resis, and to reduce the force of the circulation. 
Dose — 2 to 4. 

Krameria Ext. (Rhatany, 2 grains). — One of 
the most active vegetable astringents. Much used 
in diarrheas, dysentery, and passive hemorrliages. 
Dose — 1 to 5. 

Lactuca £xt. (Lettuce, I grain). — Quiets ner- 
vous irritation and allays cough. Dose — 1 to 3. 

IiCptandrin (1 grain). — Leptandrin gently ex- 
cites the liver and promotes biliary secretion without 
producing the least irritation of the bowels. It is 
only slightly laxative, while it acts as a tonic on the 
stomach. Dose — 1 to 2. 

liCptandrln Compound (IJ grains). — Lep- 

tiindrin, 1 grti ; Irisin, J grn. ; Podophyllin, J grn. 
Has been exhibited with good effects in liver affec- 
tions, in chronic visceral obstructions, rheumatism, 
iScc. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Lupulin (3 grains). — Possesses no inconside- 
rable power to control delirium tremens and watchful- 
ness, in connection with nervous irritation, anxiety 
or exhausiioii. Dose — 2 to 3. 

inaguesia Calcined (2 grams). — Antacid and 
laxative; inueli used in dyspepsia, sick-headacjie, 
gout, and oilier complainis attended with sour stomach 
and conslipalioii. Dose — 2 to 5. 

magnesia and Rhei (2 grains).— Magnetia, 
1 grain; Rhei, 1 grain. An excellent combination 
in constipation and dyspepsia. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Mercury, Prot. Iodide (J grain).— A supe- 
rior remedy m scrofulous syphilis. Dr. Schedei re- 
marks: "Of its goods effects loo much can not be 
said." Dose — 1 to 2. 

Mercury, Bed Iodide (1-16 grain).— Altera, 
live, stimulant and deobstrueiil. Dr. Fuller attests 
its utility in syphilitic rheumatism. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Mercury Iodide and Opli (li grain).— Io- 
dide, 1 grain ; Opii, J grain. The advantage of con- 
joining opiates with Mercury is to counteract the 
tendency of the mercurials to irritate the mucous 
membranes of the stomach and bowels in irritable 
subjects. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Morphia, Acetate (i grain). — Anodyne and 
soporific. Effecting the system similarly with the 
other Salts of Morphia. Some practitioners give it 
the preference. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Morphia Sulphate (1-32 ancf ^ grain). — Ap- 
plicable to ail cases when the object is to relieve 
pain, quiet restlessness, promote sleep, or to allay 
nervous irritation. Dose — (1-32 grain) 2 to 4. 

Morphia Valerianate (f grain).— This Salt 
is used to some extent in nervous diseases, restless- 
ness in fevers, &c. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Morphia COHiponnd (J grain). — Morphia 
Sulphate, \ grain; Tar. Pot. and Ant., J grain; Calo- 
mel, i grain. Employed in febrile diseases, especially 
of the thoracic organs. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Nitrate Sliver (J grain). — Tonic and antispas- 
modic. Employed in epilepsy, chorea, angina pec- 
toris, and ether spasmodic affections. Dose — 1 to 2. 



SUfiAR-COATED PILLS ANI^ GRANULES. 



Nux Vomica, Ext. (i and i gram).— In- 
creases the aotioii of tiie various excretory organs. 
Is princip-illy exliibiled wliere there i.s want of ner- 
vous energ'y. Dose — 1 to 2 ^ 

Opium (I ^;ai«).— Opium acts under diffctent 
circumstance* as a diaphorelic, feliril'uge. and anti- 
spasmodic. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Opium and Acetate of Lead (2 grains).— 

Opium, i grain; Acetate. I grain. Advantageous in 
hemorrliages. attended wall great constitutional ex- 
citement. Dose — 1 to 3, 

Opium audCampUor (3 grains). — Opium, 1 
grain ; Camphor. 2 grains. Effective preparation to 
ailay pain and promote rest [See Camphor and 
Opium]. Dose — 1 :o 2 

Opium, Campltor aud Taiiuiu (3^ grs.) 
— Opium, i grain; Camphor, 1 grain; Tannin, 2 grains. 
Asirnigeiit united with soothing and sedative influ- 
ences. Dose — I to 2. 

PllJ'tolaccin (J grain). — Highly extolled as an 
alterative in syphilitic, struniuous, and cutaneous 
diseases. Phytolaccin is the basic principle of Phy- 
tolacca Uecandra. Doss — 1 to 2. 

Podopliyllum Ext. (Mandrake, \ grain). 
— Hydragogue and deobslrueiit. Valuable in many 
chronic complaints. In bilious and typhoid febrile 
diseases, it i«a valuable cathartic or emetino cathar- 
tic, often breaking up the disease at once. Dose — 3 
to 3. 

Fodopliyllin ;i and 1 grain). Purgative. 

Remarkably small quantities will violently affect 
some persons. If the stomach be acid, alkalies 
should previously be administered, in order to obtain 
a prompt and active impression. Acid appears to 
destroy its energy of action. Dose — (J grain) 1 to 2. 

llln and Blue Pill (3 grains).— 



Podophv 

'odophylUn, \ 



cellenl alterative andcholagogue combination. Dose 
—1 to 2. 

Poppy Ext. (2 grains). — Possesses proper- 
ties analogous to Opium, though in an interior de- 
gree. Doje— 2 to 4. 

Potasaa, Tartrate of, and Iron (2 grs.).— 
Combines the cooling purgative qualities of tne Tar- 
trate with the tonic properties of the Iron. Dose — 2 
to 4. 

Potass. Iodide (2 grains). — Useful in scrofu- 
lotis affections, and is one of the best alterative reme- 
dies in mercurio syphilitic sore throat. Dose — 1 to 5. 

Potass. Bromide (1 grain). — Cases of en- 
larged spleen and liver, hypertrophy of the heart, 
and glandular swellings have been successfully 
treated by this agent. Dose — 3 to 6. 

Quinine, SnlpUate of (i, 1, 2 and 3 grains). 
—Produces upon the system, as far a^ can be judged 
from observation, the same effects as Peruvian Bark, 
without being so apt to nauseate aud oppress the 
stomach. Dose — 1 to 6. 

Quinine Compound (2 1-32 grains).— Qui- 
nine Sulphate, 1 grain ; Iron, by Hydrogen, 1 grain ; 
Arsenious Acid, 1-32 grain. A useful preparation in 
all diseases attended with symptoms of periodicity. 
Dose—1 to 3. 

Qninine, Sulpliatc and Ext. Bella- 
donna (IJ g7ain). — Quinine, 1 grain; Belladonna 
Extract, J grain. These pills appear to be indicated 
ill oases of great prostration, generally where it is de- 
sired to obtain the combined influence of an anodyne 
or calmative and tonic. Dose — 1 to 4. 

Quinine and Iron (2 g-ram*).— QMintne, 1 
grain; Iron, by Hydrogen, 1 grain.— Tonic and Chaly. 
beate. Dow— 1 to 4. 



Quinine, Iron and StrycUnia (3 1-CO 

grai«s). — Quinine, 1 grain; Iron Carbonate, VaUet's 2 
grains: Stryclmia Sulphate, 1-60 grain. Blood re- 
storative, tonic and nervine stimulant. The con- 
tinued use of this pill produces salutary effects in 
dyspepsia, in some types of paralysis and amenor- 
rhea. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Qniuiue, Valerianate (ig-rain)— Incases of 
debility attended with nervous disorder. Dose — 1 
to 3. 

Quassia, Ext. (1 grain).— Stomachic, tonic 
and febrifuge. Qua.ssia possesses several advan- 
tages over most other vegetable tonics, in that it 
neither produces constipation, increase of animal, or 
arterial excitement. Dose — 3 to 5. 

Rltei Ext. (1 grain). — In small quantities 
Rhubarb invigorates the process of digestion. It 
claims the preference to all other medicines m cases 
where the bowels are relaxed, and at the same lime 
a gentle cathartic is required. Dose — 2 to 6. 

Rliel (U. S. P., 4 grains).— Hhei, 3 grains: Soap, 
1 grain. Recommended in habitual ooiistipation. 
Soap counteracts the astringent effects of Rhubarb. 
Dose—1 to 2. 

Rbel Compound (U. -S. P., 4^ grain3).—Rhei 
Ext., 2 grains; Aloes E.xt., 1^ grains; Myrrh Ext., 1 
grain; Oil Feppermint. Useful in costiveness with 
debility of the siomach. Dose — 2 to 5. 

Rhei and Blue Pill (4 grains).— Rhei Ext., 
Blue Pill, Soda Carbonate. — Alleralive, cholagogue, and 
slightly laxative. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Rhci and Iron (3 grains). — Combines the 
properties of a superior tonic and laxative ; and is 
well adapted to those conditions in which there is 
loss of appetite and strength complicated with con- 
stipation, or even a relaxed state of the bowels re- 
quiring a gentle cathartic. Dose — 2 to 3. 

Rheumatic (3 1-6 grains). Ert. Colocynth 

Compound, 1 J grain; Ext. Colchici Acel., 1 grain; Ext. 
Hyoscyamus, J grain; Calomel, ^ grain. An admira- 
ble compound pill for all rheumatic affections. If 
given in the early stages, will often check the pro- 
gress of the disease. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Saugulnaria Ext. (Bloodroot. i grain). — 
Small doses stimulate the digestive organs, increase 
the action of the heart and arteries, while larje doses 
produce a sedative influence on the heart. Useful in 
torpid conditions of the liver, pneumonia, &c. Dose — 
1 to 5. 

Santonin (J grain). — The exclusive anthel- 
mintic principle of A. Saiitonica. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Sansuluariu {^ and 1 grain). — Properties are 
the same as Bloodroot. Dose — (J grain) 1 to 4 ; (1 
grain) 1 to 5. 

Sarsaparllla Ext. (3 grains).- One of the 
most highly useful alteratives in the Materia Medica. 
Dose — 2 to 5. 

Savin Ext. (1 grom). — Emmenagogue. Sarin 
operates actively on the uterine system. Dose — 1 
to 5. 

Senna, AIx., Ext. (2 grains). — Reliable and 
convenient purgative. Dose — 2 to 4. 

Soap and Opium (U. S. P., 3 grains).— A con- 
venient /orm for administering Opium in small quan- 
tities. Dose— 1 to 3. « 

Soda, Bi-Carbonate of (4 grains). — Re- 
sorted to in calculous cases, characterized by excess 
of uric acid. Given in infantile croup, with a view 
to the expulsion of the false membrane. Dose — 2 
to 5. 



SUGAR-COATED PILLS AND GRANULES. 



Squill Compound (U. S. P.. 3 g^raini) —Ap- 
plicable 10 the ireatineiit of all cliroiiio affections of 
the bronchial mucous membranes. Dose — 2 to 3. 

Stillingln (1 griin). — Exerts an influence over 
the secretory fund ions unsurpassed by any other 
known alterative. Dose — 2 to 5. 

Strycltuia (1-4S. 1-32 and 1-16 ^rain).—h5 et"- 
fects upon the system are identical wi'.h those of 
Nux Vomica, and it is em|)loyed lor the same pur- 
poses, as a medicine. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Stramonium (J and 1 grain). — Proves usel'nl 
ill those cases where Opium is indicated, but cannot 
be given. Dose — (J grain) 1 to 2. 

Tartar Kmetie (} ijnu'n).— Employed as an 
emeiic ai ilie cummencement of fevers, especially 
those of an iiilermii tent and bilious character; in 
jaundii.-e, whooping cousrii and croup; and in several 
diseases of the nervous sy^ieni, such as mania, amau- 
rosis, lic-doloureux, &;r. Dose — 1 to 2. 

ITraxacutn Ext. (2 grains). — Efficient remedy 
to remove torpor and engorgement of the liver. 
Dos«— 3 to 6. 

Tannin (1 grain). — Beneficial in diarrhea, m 
colliquative sweats, in cases of chronic catarrh, with 
excessive and debilitating expectoration, in the ad- 
vanced stages of whooping cough, and in cystirrhea. 
Dose— 2 to 4. 

Triplex (3 grains). — Aloes. Ext., 2 parts ; podo- 
phyllin and Blue Pill, each 1 part. Cathartic. Its 
local- action on the liver in correcting the torpid 
stales of this organ, known as bilious, constitutes its 
dominant value. Dose — 1 to 2. 

Uva ITrsi (2 grains). — Exerts a direct influence 
on the kidneys and urinary passages. Serviceable in 
chronic gonorrhoea, strangury, fluor-albus, and exces- 



sive mucous discharges with the urine. lis astringeut 
property makes it applicable in chronic diarrhcEu and 
dysenter.y, menorrhagia, diabetes, &c. Dose — 1 tol. 

Valerian (2 grains) — Those pills are beneficial 
in epilepsy, mania, melancholia, delirium, and in low 
forms of fever where a nervous si imulant i.s required. 
Highly lauded in hysieria, and hysterical headache, 
palpitations and neuraiiga. Dose — 2 to 5. 

Valerianate of Ammonia (l irrainj.—Thi* 
pill is much used in nervous irritability, epilepsy, 
chorea, headache and neuralgia. Dose — 2 to 6. 



Valerianate of Iron (1 

Valerianate. 



%rain). — See Iron 



Valerianate of Morphia (J grain).— See 

Morphia Valerianate. 

Valerianate of Quiuia (J grain). — See 
Quinia Valerianate. 

Valerianate of Ziuc (1 grain). — An impor- 
tant and poieiii pill in neuralgic aflfections, and ner- 
vous derangements generally. Dose — 1. 

Veratria (1-32 grain). — Has been employed 
chiefly in gout, rheumatism and neuralgia; also, in 
various nervous affections, as paralysis, whooping 
cough, epilepsy, hysieria, and disorders dependent 
upon spinal irritation. Dose — 1 to 3. 

Veratrum Viritle (J and J grain). — Dr. Turn- 
bull has found it useful in diseases of the heart, par- 
ticularly those of a functional character. Professor 
TuUy regards Veratria eminently efficacious in the 
management of gout, rheumatism; much superior to 
colchicum. Dose — (J grain) 1 to 2. 



[C7" For a more extended notice, see Supplement 
to the Journal of IMateria Medica. 



JOURNAL OF MATERIA MEDICA 

Devoted to Discussions on the various articles in the Materia Medica, General Intelli- 
gence, Correspondence, and the Publication of new Formulfe. Published for 
every month. Price ^1.00 a year. 

BOOK OF FORMULA. 

Containing over 500 Formulae for the immediate Preparation of Tinctures, Infusions, 
Syrups, Wines, Mixtures, Pills, simple or compound, from the Solid and Fluid 
Extracts of Tilden- & Co. Price 50 cents. By mail 70 cents. 
Address TILDEN & CO., New Lebanon, N. Y., or 

98 John Street, New York City. 

SUPPLEMENT TO JOURNAL OF MATERIA MEDICA 

Contains 160 pages, embodying a comprehensive digest of the Therapeutics of our sev- 
eral Medicinal Preparations, together with their Doses, most palpable Contra- 
indications, Incompatibles, and Antidotes. Sent to all 
Physician? on application. 



THOMAS J. KERR. 



HERMANN BULWINKLE. 



T. J. KERR & CO., 



MERC 




TS, 



Kerr's "Wharf, 



WILL ATTEND TO THE SALES OF 



LiU IVl 



01 



r 



D 



< 



I, 



AND 



PURCHASE OF MERCHANDISE. 

DEALERS IN 

Uo. 1 PEHUVIAIT GUAUO 



AND OTHER 



Eason Ironworks. 

ESTJ^BXjISHIEID 1838. 

Nassau and Columbus Streets, 

steam"engines, 



(=: 







i) 



MACHINEEY. 

Mice Founding Mills, 

Bice Threshing Mills, 

Saw Mills, Flour Mills, 

Sugar Mills, Grist Mills, 

Shafting, Fullies, Gearing. 

CASTINGS in IRON and BRASS. 

} J. M. EASON & BRO. 



J. M. EASON, 
T. D. EASON. 



GOODRICH. WINEMAN & CO., 

Keep constantly on hand a choice and selected stock of 

PURE DRUGS AND CHEMICALS, 

The quality of which are fullt warranted. 

As we import regularly from London, Physicians ca^ always depend on 
getting GENUINE ARTICLES. Powdcred Drugs in this country are generally 
more or less adulterated with foreign matters. Always on hand 

Herring's Blue Mass, English Iodide PoUvss, English 

Glycerine, English Fol Digitalis, 

English Calomel. 

Together with a full assortment of selected 

Chemicals, FIbM Eitracts, Glassware, iDstrniiients, Etc. 

r.OODRIClI, WINEMAN & CO., 

Proprietors and Manufacturers of the celebrated CAROLIX.i BITTERS, 
JVo. 23 Hayne St., Charleston, S. C. 

G. IN, AIMAR, 

Wholesale and Retail Dealer in Choice 

OfilliS, iEiieiMIS, eHEiieiLS. 

SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, 
PERFUMERIES and TOILET GOODS. 

MANUFACTURER OF 

Aimar's Saracenia Bilters, for Dyspepsia, 

Aimar^s Premium Cologne Wa:er, 

Corner King and Vanderhorst Streets, 




Tmportera and Dealera in 

m. n 



1 



\ 



DV 



jLlil 



) 



mi 1 mm m\ 

Crockery, China and Glass, 

Watches and Jewelry Repaired. 

255 ICIISTG- ST_ 



-*^ 




1 



< 



J 



11 



li 



'J 



AT WHOLESALE, 

137 Meeting Street, 

OPPOSITE HAYNE STREET, 

OHZ^I^HiESTOIsr, s. o. 



WILLIAM G. WHILDEN. 
W. GEO. GIBBS. 



( STEPHEN THOMAS, Jr. 
1 WILLIAM S. LANNEAU 




Tho '■ (UHOLINA FERTILIZER" is niado from the PHOSPHATES of South f^^r'^l'V'-"^.,""'' '^P'^?"''^!"'',^;} 
by viuious ohemists one of tho best Manures known, only inferior to Peruvian Guano in it-i !• EKl lLlZ,irMU 
PROl'ERTI ES. These PHOSPHATES arc the remains of extinet land and sea uninialsanu possess qual- 
ities of tlie greatest value to the agriculturist. We annex tho analysis of Piofoesor SHEPARD: 
Lahoratort of thk Medical Collec.k or South Carolina. 
Analysis of a sample of CAROLINA FERTILIZER, personally selected : 

Moisture expelled at 212 degrees Fahrenheit i«-TO 

OrKiinic Matter with some water of combination expelled at a low red heat lo-O" 

Fixed Ingredients ^'^■^ 



Ammonia . 



Phosphoric Acid— Soluble C.06. 

Insoluble 0.17. 



Equivalent to 11.27 HohiVile Phosphate of Lime. 
Equivalent to ia.48 Insoluble [bone]. 



24.75 Pliosphato of Lime. 
Equivalent to 23.G5 Sulphate of Lime. 



t 13.13 
Sulphuric Acid 11.01 
Sulphate of Potash 80 
Sulphate of Soda 3.50 

On the strength ortiieso" results, i ariV'gVad'to "certify to the superiority of the CAROLINA FKRTILIZE» 
examined biihr.AKU, jr. 

Wo will furnish this excellent FERTILIZER to Planters and others at $65 per ton of 2(K)0 pounds. 

OEO. W. WILLIAMS -Sc CO., 

FACTORS, CHARLESTON, S. C. 
D. MALLOY, Cheraw, S. C. ; PARKER Si KELLEY, Darlington, S. C. ; S. A. DtJHH.UI * C(). Marion, S. C,; 
PATE& TAYLOR. Sumter. S. C. ; .lESSK Ki:iTH, TimmonsyiUo, e. C; CARWlLh <t McCAUCtHKIN New- 
berry, S.C; DAVID ASTRADLEY.GreenviUe, S. C. ; SAML. R, TO I'D, Laurens, S. C; 8HARPE & VANS' 
Anderson, S. C; 8. BLECKLEY * CO., Pendleton, S. C. 



I 



IMPORTERS AND WHOLESALE 

Meeting Street, eor. Hasel, Charleston, S. C. 

Offer to the Trade a large and tvell selected stock of Fresh Drugs, Medicines, 

CheniicalSf Paints, Oils, Dye Stuffs and Patent Medicines, as loiv 

as the lowest. Proprietors and Manufacturers of 




THE «EST IN XJSl^:. » 

Schedule OP Prices. — One doz. and less than five. S8 per doz; five doz. and les.s than 
ten, $7 50 per doz ; ten doz. and upwards, 87 ; special prices for lots 50 eases or more. 



JcWi 



WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 



XJEJLLEE-S IIT 



DRY GOODS, 



S4li€E®f W'S ©ILl SWa^lfll, 



287 



mm^(^ ST^iiT. r#^^S-^; 



289 i^ 



Domestic Store. ; ^ ' l" " ' ; " " ^ ," ^ ] LACE STORE. 

^ Three Doors below Wentworth, Jr> ""-^ ^ Mj. m.m. 

We keep always on j , 1 We keep always on ' 

hand a large and r|ru>nircTnN CO PA ff> hand a full assort- r I 
well assorted V^-nAnLtolUil, dU. l-A-^ ment of , 

rLAnlllnb ( i suitable for 

@ @ © ® S . qA TEEMS, Caali or City Acceptance. ^Ladies' Wear. ^ 



H. C. STOLL. 



CHARLES WEBB. 



H. C. WALKER. 



MAPES' NITROGENIZED 

Super-Phosphate of Lime. 

The letters published in the Mapes' Company pamphlet, written by prominent 
planters, detailing their experience with Mapes' Nitrogenized Super-Phosphate of 
Lime on Cotton, Corn, and other crops, during the past season, afford additional tes- 
timony in favor of this fertilizer. Notwithstanding the long-continued drought, 
followed by excessive rains, and then by the caterpillars, Mapes' Nitrogenized 
Super-Phosphate has, in nearly every instance, even when applied for the first time, 
produced crops which yielded handsome profits to the planters. In some instances 
these results would seem incredible, if not substantiated by reliable gentlemen. 

Its extreme solubility, richness in animal organic matter, yielding ammonia, and 
its power to absorb water, enabled it to promote a sufficiently vigorous early growth 
for the plant to withstand, to a great degree, the ill effects of extremes of weather, 
and even the ravages of the caterpillars, and to continue to act in the presence of 
such quantities of moisture as were not only insufficient to enable other fertilizers 
to contribute to the growth of the crop, but even to prevent them, as in the case of 
Peruvian Guano, from doing a positive injury to the plant, by causing firing, &c. 

It is generally conceded that the more vigorous and healthy, the early growth 
may bo developed, especially in the cotton plant, the less liability of the plant to be- 
come a prey to the diseases and mishaps incidental to the crop. To insure such 
early, vigorous growth, and to add to the certainty, in spite of the mishaps in culti- 
vation and extremes of weather, the Mapes' Super-Phosphate Company have 
aimed to increase the solubility of their fertilizer, both in its animal smmonial mat- 
ter «nd bone phosphate, so that there will be the largest amount of plant food ready 
in every emergency for immediate use by the plant. This is accomplished by the 
thorough fermentation of the animal matter with the phosphates, as well as by 
treatment with sulphuric acid during the manufacture, and the use of only suoh 
material, reduced to concentrated form, as are of animal, instead of mineral origin, 
and valuable in themselves as fertilizers. 

While the Company claim that the chemical analyses do not fully portray the 
full agricultural value of their fertilizer, since they fail to determine the adaptability 
of the ingredients to plant growth, the quality and character of the materials from 
which they are derived, especially in the case of organic matter and phosphates, 
they refer with pride to the published analyses of the prominent chemists during 
several years past, which prove the uniform purity of their article, and also that the 
Company have never offered an article to their customers that was below their pub- 
lished chemical standard. 

The practical results of Mapes' Super-Phosphate during the past season, on 
cotton and other staples, would seem almost incredible if they had not been substan- 
tiated by the testimony of gentlemen of high standing. In one instance, the invest- 
ment of fifty-seven dollnrn in this fertilizer increased the yield five bales, thereby in- 
creasing the planter's income over five hundred dollars. In many cases, the increased 
yield over the production of the natural soil was several times greater, even when 
the Super-Phosphate was applied at the rate of less than 150 pounds per acre. 

EINJiffiE&Ni & EWWEMm, 

Commission Merchants, 

No. 153 EAST BAY STREET, CHARLESTON. 
General Agents for South Carolina, 

FOR THE SALE OF 

MAPES' NITROGENIZED SUPER-PHOSPHATE OF LIME. 



-V^Jl.1<T1D(D 



11 k 1 



n i m 




CHARLESTON, S. C. 

Factory East End Hasel Street. - - - Mines on Ashley River. 




WANDO FERTILIZER, 

PHOSPHATIC ROCK. 

FOR SALE BY 

GEJVUEAL AGEJ^TS, 
No. 1 SOUTH ATLANTIC WHARF. 



ilD-20.3. 



SOLUBLE MANURES. 

m mmu m m immmm 

COMPA-NY, 

OP CHARLESTON, S. C, 

Having completed thoir extensive Manufactory, are now prepared to 
furnish 

Soluble Fertilizers, 

No other kinds being available to planters for immediate returns for their 
investments. 

This Company, under the direction entirely of Southern men of high 
character, offers inducements which will recommend it to Southern planters. 
XJjeir works are among the largest and most complete in the United States, 
and enable them to prepare at home an abundant supply of the proper sol- 
vent for the South Carolina native Bone Phosphates which are near by. 
From these Phosphates they propose to manufacture a 

FERTILIZER 

even richer in soluble Phosphate than those made from raw bones, and con- 
taining more than twice the quantity of Super-Phosphate of Lime found in 
the best average Manures heretofore offered for sale, the rates at which we 
offer them being no higher than the average price of other Fertilizers, 
while the Manures contain twice as much fertilizing material; they are in 
fact much cheaper to the consumer. 

They are offered on the market in two forms, with a guarantee that the 
material in each will correspond to the advertisement. 

ETIWAN, No. 1. — Soluble Phosphate, containing from eighteen to 
twenty-five per cent, of Pure Soluble Phosphate of Lime, and furnished at 
sixty dollars per ton. This is particularly recommended for root crops, and 
for all crops planted on rich, dark loamy soils. 

ETIWAN, No. 2. — Peruvian Super-Phosphnte, containing from sixteen 
to twenty per cent, of Soluble Phosphate, and two to four per cent, of 
Ammonia, at seventy dollars per ton, for approved acceptances, bearing in- 
terest, or such other securitj' as may be acceptable to the sub-agents. A dis- 
count of ten per cent, on those prices will be made for cash. This is recom- 
mended for old lands, formerly under poor culture, which produce only very 
indifferent crops. It is a combination of the Company's high grade Super- 
Phosphate (Etiwan No. 1) with the best Peruvian Guano. 

Orders to be forwarded immediately to the Agents, and delivery made as 
directed on and after 1st January next. 

WM. C. BEE & CO., Agents. 

C. G. MEMMINGE.R, President. 



The Fertilizers of this Cornpuny will bo branded ETIWAN, No. 1, 
and ETIWAN, No. 2. 



y JL^ ^.jF JLJL JbT^ ^ 

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL 

S. E. Corner King and John Streets, 

CHARLESTON, S. C. 

Orders from Drugi^ists, Physicians and Country Merchants 
promptly attended to. 

B®"" All Medicines sold are guaranteed to be pure and reliable. 

LiiM's Colope Water and Lnliii's FlaToriiig Extracts ai'e stperl 
JAMES E. SPEAR, 

Importer and Dealer in 

235 KING STREET, 
F. F. CHAPEAU, 

MANUFACTURER OF 





, Fiiii Caps, Eel 



AND DEALEK IN 



eoYerninenl McClellan Saddles and Goyeriiiiieiit Harness, 
No. 68 Meeting St., next Mills House, 

OHr^K.LESTOIsr, s, o. 



WATCHES, CLO CKS, JEWELRY, SILV ER WARE, k 
JAMES ALLAN, 

307 IKIIlsra- STK-EET, 

CHARLESTON, S. C. 

Enamelled and Diamond, Chased and Plain Gold and Silver Cases. 

CLO C KIS 

In Gilt, Bronze, White and Black Marble, Rosewood, Mahogany, &c. 

J" E ^W E I_i i^ ^Z". 

Half sets of Brooches and Ear Rings of Etruscan and Pearl, Diamond and 

Pearl, Etruscan and Coral, &c., Brooches for Hair or Photographs, 

Brooches and Ear Rings in great variety. 

C H A. I]V S. 

A variety of handsome Gold, Vest, Leontiues, Chatelains, Neck, 

Vulcanite, Horn, Steel, &c. 

Rings of Diamond Cluster, Solitaire, Pearl, Opal, Amethyst, Sapphire, 

Ruby, &c. 

Sleeve Buttons and Studs in Great Variety and Handsome Styles. 

Gold and Silver Thimbles, Watch Charms, Bosom Pins, Scarf Pins, Scis- 
sors, Work Boxes, Portemonnaif^s, Ladies' Companions, Table and Pocket 
Cutlery, Sterling Silver Ware, Plated Ware, Card Receivers, Mathematical 
Instruments, Writing Desks, Vases, Dressing Cases, Hair Brushes, Tooth 
Brushes, in great variety. 

SPECTACLES AND EYE GLASSES 

In Gold, Silver, Steel, Shell and Rubber frames, with the celebrated peris- 

copic lens, adapted with great care to all cases of defective 

vision. Magnifiers, &c. 

Special attftntion given to Repairing of fine Watches, Jewelry, &q. All 

work guaranteed. 

g^^ Cash orders promptly and faithfully executed. 



WHOLESALE & RETAIL DRUGGIST, 

No. 131 Meeting Street, 

Three doors North of Market Street, Oharleston, S. 0. 

DBALEU IN 

Drugs, Medicines, Chemicals, Perfumery, Soaps, Brashes, Combs, 

Spong-es, Etc. 

All of which he offers to the Trade (Druggists, Store-keepers and Physicians) at the 
lowest market rates. He also keeps constantly on hand all of the various PATENT 
MEDICINES, pure Wines, Gias, Whiskeys, Brandies and Bitters, for Medicinal purposes. 
He would call special attention to his very superior Solution of Citrate of Magnesia and 
Double Distilled Benzine. Also, to his fine assortment of Trusses, Druggists' Glassware, 
and everytliing that pertains to this line. 



RESOURCES OF THE 

SOUTHERN FIELDS AND FORESTS. 



This Book can be obtained by orders sent to Messrs. Walker, Evans & 
Cogswell, No. 3 Broad Broad Street, Charleston, or from any Bookseller. 

It is Bound in Extra Cloth, Library Style, Half Calf, Morocco or Russia. 

McLOY & RICE, 

Wholesale and Retail Dealers in 

DRY GOODS, 

270 King St. and 67 Hasel St., 
oi3:.A_i^i_.:E]STOisr, s. o. 

AND 46 WEST BROADWAY, N. Y. 



A. McLOY. 



J. W. RICE 



JOHN THOMSON &, CO., 

Seodsmon $i. Florists, 

Importers of 

ENGLISH SEEDS, 



And Dealers in 



iGmCDLTMiLMOimmiLllPLEllTS 

HOUSEKEEPING ARTICLES, PLANTS, &C. 
288 KING STRBKT^ 



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